The Holy Rome Empire and the Church

The Holy Roman Empire and the Church

The struggle for Italy

Church Power Reaches Its Height

Although the investiture struggle was over, new battle soon appeared between popes and emperors.

German emperors wanted to control Italy. However as they tried to do so, they staretd conflict with the pope and some Italian Cities

German Emperors Try to Subdue Italy

Effects on Germany and Italy

In Italy, popes turned to the French to overthrow Fredrick's heirs. Also a local uprising agianist French rule in Sicily led to 200 years of chaos between French and Spainish for power.

This Left a region that had once thrived with culture, in ruins.

Fredrick Barbarossa, this man dreamed of building a empire from the Baltic to the Adriatic. For years how fought to bring the wealthly cites of northern Italy under his control. However they resisted with equal energy.

However Barbarossa did succeed, he arranged a marriage between his son Henery and Constance, heiress to Sicily and southern Italy.

In the 1200's the Church reached the peak of its politcal power. Reforming popes like Gergory VII claimed the right to depose kings and emperors. His successors however greatly expanded papal power

In 1198, the powerful Pope Innocent III took office, as head of the church he claimed supremacy over all other rulers.