Battle of Legnano
1176 · Legnano (northwest of present-day Milan, Italy) · World · Medieval
The League infantry held its position around the carroccio, the war cart that symbolized the city's honor; the imperial cavalry was routed, and for a time the emperor's whereabouts were unknown.
Belligerents
Lombard League
- Commanders
- Consuls of Milan (the commander's name is not recorded)
- Strength
- Urban cavalry and infantry, several thousand men
Holy Roman Empire
- Commanders
- Frederick I (Barbarossa)
- Strength
- German knights and Italian allies, several thousand men
Background
Frederick I repeatedly marched south, trying to restore the emperor's rights to levy taxes and appoint officials in the northern Italian cities, and in 1162 he even destroyed Milan; in 1167 the cities formed the Lombard League to resist together.
Course of the battle
- Cavalry encounterThe imperial cavalry first encountered the League's vanguard cavalry and drove it back.
- Holding out behind the wagonsThe League infantry formed up around the war cart bearing the city's banners and withstood repeated charges by the imperial cavalry.
- Reinforcements counterattackThe regrouped League cavalry and reinforcements from Brescia struck back from the flank, throwing the imperial army into disarray.
- Emperor flees in defeatFrederick fell from his horse and disappeared, the imperial army retreated in disarray, and only days later did the emperor reappear at Pavia.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1176 |
|---|---|
| Place | Legnano (today northwest of Milan, Italy) |
| Result | The League infantry held its position around the carroccio, the war cart that symbolized the city's honor; the imperial cavalry was routed, and for a time the emperor's whereabouts were unknown. |
| Winner | Lombard League |
| Casualties | No precise record; losses among the imperial knights, killed, wounded and captured, were relatively heavy. |
| Territorial change | After the Peace of Venice in 1177, the Peace of Constance in 1183 recognized the self-government of the northern Italian cities. |
Impact
The defeat of the emperor's professional knights by city militias is seen as a milestone of medieval urban self-government, and it later became a symbol of the Italian Risorgimento.
See the world in 1176 on the map →