Late Middle Ages in Italy

Throughout the later middle ages Northern Italy continued to be divided into a large number of small independent city-states. The most important were Milan, Florence, Genoa, Pisa, Siena, and Venice. These city-states were often under attack from the Holy Roman Emperors, who wanted to take them over. The people who wanted to stay independent were called Guelfs, and the people who wanted to be part of the Holy Roman Empire were called Ghibellines (GIBB-uh-leens).

The Popes continued to rule central Italy, but there was a lot of fighting between different candidates for Pope. Often there were two popes at the same time (then you call one of them the anti-pope).

In southern Italy, the descendants of the Norman kings continued to rule.

Late Medieval Germany
The Hundred Years War
Main medieval history page
Main Middle Ages page
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