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The Lombard League was formed in 1167, largely out of the Veronese League [1]. It was a Union of Lombard cities promising each other unity, against the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. The Lombard cities swore the oath at Pontida a small Lombard village. After the disastrous defeat of Pope Alexander III at the Battle of Monte Porzio in May 1167 against Imperial forces, only the Lombard League remained as the last legitimate fighting force opposing the Emperor and was therefor heavily backed by the Pope.
Kenneth Pennington wrote: "Alexander’s inability to control Rome and the Papal States was due to his conflict with Frederick. Although he attempted to support the cities of Lombardy, he had neither the power nor the resources to render effective assistance."
In September 1174 Frederick embarked on his 5. Italian Campaign due to troubles and revolts that were constantly arising in Lombardy and with the Pope. Frederick led a force of 8,000 Knights [2] over the Alps and arrived in the Piedmont in late September. His Cousin Henry the Lion and his forces, were once again not a part of the Imperial campaign. Frederick wanted to take revenge on Susa, for its "evil" behavior in 1168, and on the 30. of September his forces captured and burned down the town. His next aim was the town of Asti, which he captured after a seven day siege. In October, Frederick finally received his promised Imperial reinforcements from Bohemia. Upon Fredericks initial rapid and fierce success, Margraviate William of Montferrat and the Count of Biandrate, abandoned the Lombard League [3].
The siege of Alessandria was an important event for the Lombard league and in Fredericks 5. Campaign. Fredericks 5. Campaign was one of revenge, with the aim of the total destruction of the Lombard League and the removal of Pope Alexander III, his next aim was therefor the Lombard city of Alessandria. Alessandria was a city that was founded by Milanese refugees who escaped, the by Fredericks forces burned and destroyed Milan in 1162 [4]. The Milanese refugees named their new city after Pope Alexander III. The siege of the "Straw City", named so because all the roofs were covered with straw, began at the end of October. To Fredericks surprise and anger, Alessandria proved to be very robust and determined, his forces were not able to take the city and therefor had to spent winter in front of its gates. On Holy Saturday, Fredericks forces managed to enter the city, by having tunnels dug underneath it, but the attack was repulsed by the Milanese with heavy losses [5]. Alessandria withstood, and was thus the first victory of the Lombard League. Frederick had to break off the siege due to an advancing Lombard army and his Imperial army retreated to Pavia [6].
On the 16. of April 1175, Frederick and the Lombard League negotiated peace at the Castle of Montebello, after a long period, the talks were broken off with no result [7]. Frederick knew, that Battle would be joined and travelled to Chiavenna to meet with Henry the Lion. Henry the Lion refused to aid his cousin Frederick, because he speculated with a defeat of Frederick and him taking greater power [8].
After Fredericks set back at Alessandria, the failed agreement of Montebello and the refusal of his cousin Henry the Lion to aid him at Chiavenna, Frederick finally received some good news and reinforcements from Germany [9]. The German reinforcements crossed Lukmanier Pass into the Lake Como region in April, 1176. Frederick I Barbarossa, Philipp I. of Heinsberg [10] and Archbishop Wichmann of Magdeburg [11] rode secretly from Pavia along the Ticino River, to meet the reinforcements and to lead them to a joint operation with his main force in Pavia. He received 1,000 Knights and 1,000 foot soldiers from 16 different German rulers [12]. At Como, Lombard imperialist troops increased the reinforcements to about 3,000 [13]. The Imperial force was largely a cavalry force of German Knights. The Milanese were informed about Fredericks plan and prepared for battle. The Carroccio, a holy war wagon drawn by oxen, was build and according to their battle traditions it was decorated with the city standard and an altar upon which the cross of Archbishop Aribert of Milan was erected. In 1038 Archbishop Aribert led the victorious defence of Milan against the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II, and therefor his cross was a symbol of victory against the Empire. According to Sire Raoul, an historian from Milan, 900 Knights came from Milan and around 550 Knights from 3 other towns, the rest of the Leagues forces were foot soldiers. The "Company of Death" was a foot soldier unit, that according to Milanese chronicles was led by Alberto da Giussano, and formed the core of the Lombard infantry. Frederick and his reinforcements were on their way back to Pavia, and to intercept the Imperial army, the Lombard League placed about 3,500 men near the west bank of the Olona. The infantry around theMilanese war cart, the carroccio, stood in a hastily fortified position at Borsano. The Lombards knew that Frederick was about to skirt through their area, however, the Lombards did not know that Frederick was already close by. At dawn, on the 29. of May, the Lombards sent a reconnaissance force of 700 horsemen to the Seprio landscape. At the same time, the Emperor had crossed the Olona and was marching south from Cairate, five miles northeast of Busto Arsizio. Here, battle was joined. The Lombard reconnaissance and the 300 Imperial vanguard clashed, the clash was brief and bloody and with Frederick already on the horizon, the Lombard reconnaissance broke off and fled beyond Borsano. Now, Frederick and his Imperial German army launched a rampant and brutal attack on the Lombard forces near Borsano - Legnano. The Lombard cavalry was largely routed but managed to escape the skirmish, leaving the Infantry and Carroccio on its own. Frederick advanced to the Carroccio, and assaulted the Infantry. The Infantry was made up of Farmers and the Company of Death and in total the largest contingent of the League.
M.B. Synge wrote this about the Company of Death: " Nine hundred desperate patriots forming the Company of Death defended the sacred car. Seeing the Germans were gaining ground, fearful for the safety of their treasure, they suddenly knelt down and renewed their vow to God that they would perish for their country. " [14]
The Infantry positioned itself in a phalanx like line, and fought with great determination. The Fight around the Carroccio was a long and bloody fight in which the Lombard infantry fought the Imperial army to a stalemate. Despite the difficulties the Imperial cavalry had against the Lombard infantry, it would have still prevailed in the long run. Finally the Lombards received aid from its regrouped cavalry and from a Brescian cavalry that was called to help by the fleeing reconnaissance troops [15]. The regrouped reconnaissance troops and the Brescian cavalry jointly attacked Fredericks army from the rear. The decisive assault was made by the Brescian, who managed to brake through the lines and attack Frederick directly. In this attack, his guards and standard-bearer were killed, and Frederick was thrown of his horse and believed to be dead. Upon this, the Imperial troops panicked and fled, pursued to the Ticino by the Leagues cavalry. The generals tried to rally the men. But it was in vain. Each man thought only of saving himself, and fled in wild panic towards Pavia [16]. The booty and numbers of prisoners taken were immense [17].
After the battle, Fredericks rule over Lombardy was decisively broken. The Knights that managed to escape, escaped to Pavia. There, they brought the news of Fredericks death to his wife Beatrice I Countess of Burgundy. Beatrice and the Empire mourned the dead Frederick, but after several days Frederick appeared at the gates of Pavia.
H. E. Marshall wrote: " Then, greatly to the joy of all, after three days Barbarossa suddenly appeared before the gates of Pavia. Although wounded and bruised and left for dead Frederick had not been killed. " [18]
The victories of the Lombard League, forced Frederick to travel to Venice. In the Peace of Venice, 1177, Frederick and Alexander III reconciled. The Emperor acknowledged the Pope's sovereignty over the Papal States, and in return Alexander acknowledged the Emperor's overlordship of the Imperial Church. The Peace of Venice were heavily instigated by Archbishop Wichmann of Magdeburg, who was amongst the defeated at Legnano. The Lombard cities, however, continued to fight until 1183, when, in the Peace of Constance, Frederick conceded their right to freely elect town magistrates. The Treaty was cast in Bronze.
Frederick did not forgive Henry the Lion for refusing to come to his aid in 1176. Taking advantage of the hostility of other German princes to Henry, Frederick had Henry tried in absentia by a court of bishops and princes in 1180, declared that Imperial law overruled traditional German law, and had Henry stripped of his lands and declared an outlaw.
On the 27th of January 1186, Fredericks son Henry VI married Constance of Sicily in Milan as a sign that peace had really been established.
The battle is traditionally tied to the name of Legnano, since the League's forces came from that town. Actually, as local historians have ascertained, the battle was fought a couple miles west of Legnano, where today Villa Cortese and Borsano, frazione of Busto Arsizio, stand.
O. Engels: "Die Stauferzeit"
Lexikon des Mittelalters: "Band IX"
"Magill's Guide to History"
H. E. Marshall: "The History of Germany"
Erich Brandenburg: "Die Nachkommen Karls des Großen"
M. B. Synge: "The Discovery of the New World"
Franz Kurowski: "Unterlassene Hilfeleistung und ihre Folgen"
Ernst Wies: "Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossa. Mythos und Wirklichkeit"
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