A dramatic, documentary look at Frederick I’s long campaign against the Lombard communes.
From siege works and wild engineering to brutal street fighting, it chronicles how a diverse army fought for control of northern Italy.
This edition presents vivid scenes of siege, battle, and political maneuvering that shaped the fate of Milan, Crema, Tortona, and other Lombard towns. Readers will follow the Emperor’s tactics, the courage of city defenders, and the fragile alliances that influenced a turbulent era of medieval warfare and governance.
- Dimensional warfare and siegecraft: bridges, towers, fire, and countermeasures on the Wall and in the ditch.
- Key figures and moments: the Emperor, Conrad, Otho, and the Consuls of Crema under pressure.
- Urban resilience: how Milan and its neighbors organized defense, diplomacy, and rebellion.
- The broader saga: shifting loyalties, intercultural rivalries, and the rise and fall of alliances that defined the war against the communes.
Ideal for readers of medieval history, military strategy, and the political life of Italian cities in the Middle Ages.