Peace of Constance

The Peace of Constance (25 June 1183) was a privilege granted by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his son and co-ruler, Henry VI, King of the Romans, to the members of the Lombard League to end the state of rebellion (war) that had been ongoing since 1167.

There were proposals and counter-proposals, a separate settlement of the disputed status of Alessandria and a preliminary agreement signed at Piacenza.

On the other hand, they were required to swear an oath of fealty to the Holy Roman Emperor and their consuls had to be invested directly by him.

[3] The consuls were only allowed to render final verdicts in crimes that involve sums of less than twenty-five pounds of gold.

[2] A commentary about the agreement by Baldo degli Ubaldi published in his Commentaria in usus feudorum identified the capability attributed to the emperor to break aspects of it because his oath was considered temporary.

[5] The cities stopped fulfilling their obligations during the long struggle for the Imperial crown that followed the death of Frederick's son Emperor Henry VI in 1197, and the Peace of Constance was at the centre of the new conflict fought between the so-called second Lombard League and Emperor Frederick II between 1226 and 1250.

It was celebrated for the rest of the Middle Ages and beyond as the only Imperial recognition of the autonomy of a large group of Italian cities.

In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity Frederick, by divine grace Emperor of the Romans, Augustus, and Henry VI his son, King of the Romans, Augustus, is accustomed to show grace and favor and make dispensations to subjects, with imperial clemency and mild serenity .

however much he must and can correct the excesses of transgressions with severity, yet more he studies to rule the Roman empire in gracious peace and tranquility and .

We wish that the regalia that are not granted to you shall be recognized in the following manner: the bishop of the place and men of both the city and the diocese shall choose men of good repute, believed to be suitable for this, and such as hold no special, private hatred against either the city or our majesty.

What We, or one of our predecessors, king or emperor, gave or granted in any way to bishops, churches, cities or any other person, cleric or lay, before the war, We shall consider valid and approve it, without prejudice to previous concessions.

We do not believe that the economic advantages, both within the urban perimeter and outside, and for the sake of peace we have granted to the cities, and for which a census must be paid, are to be understood under the name of gifts.

All privileges granted by us, or our messengers during the war, which prejudice or damage the cities, places or persons of the League, shall be void.

Vassals who during the war or the period of truce did not request investiture or did not provide us with the necessary military services, for this reason do not lose their fiefdom.

Contracts of level or precarious maintain their value according to the custom of each city, despite our legislative provision, which is said to be of the Emperor Frederick 15.

All damages, losses, and injuries which we or our followers have sustained from the League or any of its members or supporters, are hereby pardoned by us and we give them the plenitude of our grace.

The pacts stipulated for fear of our Majesty, or extorted with violence by our representatives, are annulled, nor for them anything is required; for example the pact of the Piacentini for the bridge over the Po and the tenancy of the same bridge and the gifts, the concession and the pact that Bishop Ugo made of Castell'Arquato, and if other similar agreements were made by the same bishop or by the Municipality or by others of the League with us or with our representative; the bridge, with all its income will remain with the Piacentini and they will always be required to pay the rent to the abbess of Santa Giulia of Brescia; and other similar agreements are added.

We have received in the fullness of our forgiveness and have forgiven every offence, We and our party, with imperial clemency, to Marquis Opizone.

He insulted us and our allies after joining the League, either by fighting personally, or through an intermediary, with the cities of Lombardy, or by defending some of them.

In addition, without our opposition and that of our successors, the Milanese have and possess freely and peacefully the jurisdiction which they used to exercise and which they now exercise in the committees of Seprio, Marciana and Bulgaria and in other committees, with the exception of the places which the Bergamasks now hold undividedly between the Adda and the Oglio, except for Romano Vecchio and Bariano, without prejudice to and maintaining in force the pacts, donations and concessions which the Milanese in common made to the cities of Bergamo, Novara and Lodi; and for this concession those pacts must not be damaged.

They will repair the roads and bridges in good faith and without fraud, as well as in an acceptable way, both on the outward and the return journey.

They will provide Us and our followers, on the way there and back, with the possibility of a sufficient supply of food and this in good faith and without fraud.

We will take care to safeguard the same right, relative to restitution, towards those who belong to our party, unless the city is obliged by an oath of non-return, in which case we want the possibility of retrocession to be decided by arbitration of probative men.

These are the places and cities that received with Us, after the oath of the Lombards, the aforementioned Peace and they swore to observe it: Pavia, Cremona, Como, Tortona, Asti, Cesarea (Alessandria), Genoa, Alba, and other cities, places and people that belonged and belonged to our party.

These are the names of the representatives who received from us, on behalf of the cities, the investiture of the consulate: from Milan, Adobato; from Piacenza, Gerardo Ardizzoni; from Lodi Vincenzo; from Verona, Cozio; from Vicenza, Pilio; from Padova Gnaffo; from Treviso, Florio; from Mantova, Alessandrino; from Faenza, Bernardo; from Bologna, Antonino; from Modena, Arlotto; from Reggio, Rolando; from Parma, Giacomo di Pietro Bave; from Novara, Opizzo; from Vercelli Medardo; from Bergamo, Attone Ficiano.