On This Day

Battle at Montaperti, Tuscany, between rival factions the Guelphs and Ghibellines

The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages.

The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalry between these two parties dominated political life across Italy. The struggle for power between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire arose with the Investiture Controversy, which began in 1075 and ended with the Concordat of Worms in 1122.

Historical Significance

The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages.

Events Before

  1. Baghdad, then a city of 1 million, falls to the Mongols as the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed, with tens of thousands sl

    Baghdad, then a city of 1 million, falls to the Mongols as the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed, with tens of thousands slaughtered, ending the Islamic Golden Age

  2. Mongol army of 150,000, led by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, arrives at the walls of Baghdad (city falls Feb 13)

    Mongol army of 150,000, led by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, arrives at the walls of Baghdad (city falls Feb 13)

  3. Mongols defeated by Dai Viet at the battle of Dong Bo Dau

    Mongols defeated by Dai Viet at the battle of Dong Bo Dau

  4. Salisbury Cathedral in south west England inaugurated

    Salisbury Cathedral in south west England inaugurated

  5. Michael VIII Palaiologos is formally proclaimed Emperor of Nicaea in Nymphaion

    Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261.

Events After

  1. Constantinople recaptured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos for Emperor Michael VIII, re-establishing Byzan

    Constantinople recaptured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos for Emperor Michael VIII, re-establishing Byzantine Empire

  2. Jacques Pantaleon is elected as Pope Urban IV

    Pope Urban IV (Latin: Urbanus; c. 1195 – 2 October 1264), born James Pantaleon (French: Jacques Pantaléon), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his...

  3. John IV Lascaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Pala

    John IV Lascaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaeologus.

  4. Flemish Dutch coast ravaged by north westerly storm

    Flemish Dutch coast ravaged by north westerly storm

  5. Arthur II is born

    Arthur II is born

More from the 1260s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 4, 1260?
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalry between these two parties dominated political life across Italy. The struggle for power between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire arose with the Investiture Controversy, which began in 1075 and ended with the Concordat of Worms in 1122.
Why is Battle at Montaperti, Tuscany, between rival factions the Guelphs and Ghibell... significant?
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages.

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