Key Events in Italian History

Emergence of the Great Cities 12 – 13th Centuries

As Imperial dominance of north Italy declined and rights and powers trickled down to the cities, a number of great city states emerged, some with powerful fleets, their fortunes made in trade or manufacturing, and only nominal imperial control. The development of these states, cities such as Venice and Genoa who now controlled the land around them – and often elsewhere – was won in two series of wars with the emperors: 1154 – 983 and 1226 – 50. The most notable victory was perhaps won by an alliance of cities called the Lombard League at Legnano in 1167.

War of the Sicilian Vespers 1282 - 1302

In the 1260s Charles of Anjou, younger brother of the French king, was invited by the Pope to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily from an illegitimate Hohenstaufen child. He duly did so, but French rule proved unpopular and in 1282 a violent rebellion broke out and the king of Aragon was invited to rule the island. King Peter III of Aragon duly invaded, and war broke out between an alliance of French, Papal and Italian forces versus Aragon and other Italian forces. When James II ascended to the Aragonese throne he made peace, but his brother carried on the struggle and won the throne in 1302 with the Peace of Caltabellotta.

The Italian Renaissance c. 1300 – c. 1600

Italy led the cultural and mental transformation of Europe which became known as the Renaissance. This was a period of great artistic achievement, mostly in urban areas and facilitated by the wealth of the church and the great Italian cities, which both harked back to and was influenced by the ideals and examples of ancient Roman and Greek culture. Contemporary politics and Christian religion also proved an influence, and a new way of thinking emerged called Humanism, expressed in art as much as literature. The Renaissance in turn influenced the patterns of politics and thought.

War of Chioggia 1378 – 81

The decisive conflict in the mercantile rivalry between Venice and Genoa occurred between 1378 and 81, when the two fought over the Adriatic sea. Venice won, banishing Genoa from the area, and carried on collecting a large overseas trading empire.

Peak of Visconti Power c.1390

The most powerful state in northern Italy was Milan, headed by the Visconti family; they expanded during the period to conquer many of their neighbours, establishing a powerful army and a large power base in northern Italy which was officially transformed into a dukedom in 1395 after Gian Galeazzo Visconti basically purchased the title from the Emperor. The expansion caused great consternation among rival cities in Italy, especially Venice and Florence, who fought back, attacking Milanese possessions. Fifty years of war followed.

Peace of Lodi 1454 / Victory of Aragon 1442

Two of the most prolonged conflicts of the 1400s finished in the middle of the century: in north Italy, the Peace of Lodi was signed after wars between the rival cities and states, with the leading powers – Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples and the Papal States – agreeing to honour each other’s current borders; several decades of peace followed. In the south a struggle over the Kingdom of Naples was won by Alfonso V of Aragon, a Spanish kingdom.

The Italian Wars 1494 – 1559

In 1494 Charles VIII of France invaded Italy for two reasons: to assist a claimant to Milan (which Charles also had a claim on) and to pursue a French claim on the Kingdom of Naples. When the Spanish Habsburgs joined the battle, in alliance with the Emperor (also a Habsburg), the Papacy and Venice, the whole of Italy became a battleground for Europe’s two most powerful families, the Valois French and the Habsburgs. France was driven out of Italy but factions continued to fight, and the war moved to other areas in Europe. A final settlement only took place with the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559.

The League of Cambrai 1508 - 10

In 1508 an alliance formed between the Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, the kings of France and Aragon and several Italian cities to attack and dismember Venice’s possessions in Italy, the city-state now ruling a large empire. The alliance was weak and soon collapsed into first disorganisation and then other alliances (the Pope allied with Venice), but Venice did suffer territorial losses and began to decline in international affairs from this point on.

Habsburg Domination c.1530 – c. 1700

The early phases of the Italian wars left Italy under the domination of the Spanish branch of the Habsburg family, with Emperor Charles V (crowned 1530) in direct control of the Kingdom of Naples, Sicily and the Duchy of Milan, and deeply influential elsewhere. He reorganised some states and ushered in, along with his successor Philip, an era of peace and stability which lasted, albeit with some tensions, until the end of the seventeenth century. At the same time the city states of Italy morphed into regional states.

Bourbon vs. Habsburg Conflict 1701 - 1748

In 1701 Western Europe went to war over the right of a French Bourbon to inherit the Spanish throne in the War of the Spanish Succession. There were battles in Italy and the region became a prize to be fought over. Once the succession was finalised in 1714 conflict continued in Italy between the Bourbons and the Habsburgs. 50 years of shifting control was ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which concluded a different war entirely but transferred some Italian possessions and ushered in 50 years of relative peace. Obligations forced Charles III of Spain to renounce Naples and Sicily in 1759, and the Austrians Tuscany in 1790.