Italic History

Written by Don Giovanni Bosco (Extracted from “ A Compendium of Italian History From the Fall of the Roman Empire ” by Don Giovanni Bosco.) Thirty years had passed without the German emperors attempting to interfere in the affairs of Italy, when the famous Frederick, surnamed Barbarossa, ascended the imperial throne. He was young, handsome, brave, and prudent, and had not yet abandoned himself to those impulses of pride which afterwards made him abhorred throughout the whole of Italy. Frederick considered that his predecessors had acted a cowardly part in yielding to the pretensions of Gregory VII., and in allowing the reins of the government in Italy to slip from their hands; and now determining, at whatever cost, to regain his right, he made a descent upon Lombardy (in the year 1154) with a numerous army. But becoming aware that the Italians were prepared to offer resistance, he thought it better only at first to seize upon the small cities which were incapable of making any vigoro...

Written by Don Giovanni Bosco (Extracted from “ A Compendium of Italian History From the Fall of the Roman Empire ” by Don Giovanni Bosco.) Before proceeding further with our history, it is necessary to take a brief glance at the political state of Italy at the accession of the German emperors as lords paramount of the country. It must not be imagined that when Italy came nominally under the power of the Empire, the country was really governed from the imperial court. The great vassals (dukes, counts, marquises) had made themselves practically independent, and each ruled his own dominions according to the feudal laws, merely doing homage to the emperor as the supreme authority. The principal of the great vassals who had established themselves firmly in their respective governments were the duke of Benevento in the south, the duke of Tuscany in Central Italy, and the duke of Spoleto on the Adriatic, with the marquises of Ivrea, Susa, and Friuli in the north. The country around Rome wa...

Written by Don Giovanni Bosco (Extracted from “ A Compendium of Italian History From the Fall of the Roman Empire ” by Don Giovanni Bosco.) After the dissolution of the Western [Carolingian] Empire, several kingdoms arose, some smaller, some larger; and while these states were growing up out of the ruins of the Frankish empire, every kingdom divided itself into little states, entitled dukedoms or countships, according as they were governed by dukes or counts. At first, these feudal lords were simply military chieftains, to whom the kings or the emperors had entrusted the government of provinces, and who had taken possession of them by the consent of their superiors. Then, again, there were bishops or abbots of monasteries, who in the name of the Church took possession of the lands or castles which the princes of that time were accustomed to present as alms to the churches or convents, mostly in expiation of their sins. But, in short, all who possessed a little castle, built on a mou...