History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy, from the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent Volume 6 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Palatine, and Saxony, and the bishops of Magonza, Tre- veri, and Colonia. This occurred in the year 1002. After the death of Otho III. the electors created Henry, duke of Bavaria, emperor, who at the end of twelve years was crowned by Pope Stephen VIII. Henry and his wife Simeonda were persons of very holy life, as is seen by the many temples built and endowed by them, of which the church of St. Miniato, near Florence, is one. Henry died in 1024, and was succeeded by Conrad of Suabia; and the latter by Henry II., who came to Rome; and as there was a schism in the church of three popes, he set them all aside, and caused the election of Clement II., by whom he was crowned emperor. CHAPTER IV. Nicholas II. commits the election of the pope to the cardinals?First example of a prince deprived of his dominions by the pope ? Guelphs and Ghibellines ? Establishment of the kingdom of Naples ? Pope Urban II. goes to France?The first crusade ? New orders of knighthood ? Saladin takes from the Christians their possessions in the east ? Death of the Countess Matilda ? Character of Frederick Barbarossa ? Schism ? Frederick creates an anti-pope ? Building of Alexandria in Puglia?Disgraceful conditions imposed by the pope upon Henry, king of England ? Reconciliation of Frederick with the pope ? The kingdom of Naples passes to the Germans? Orders of St. Dominic and St. Francis. Italy was at this time governed partly by the people, some districts by their own princes, and others by the deputies of the emperor. The highest in authority, and to whom the others referred, was called the chancellor. Of the princes, the most powerful were Godfred and the Countess Matilda his wife, who was daughter of Beatrice, the sister of Henry II. She and her husband possessed Lucca, Parma, Reggio, Mantua, and...