Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/399

THE ITALIAN CITIES 349 The cities of Lombardy not only shook off the control of their bishops, but were inclined to conduct their affairs as if the Holy Roman Emperor did not exist, or at Relations to least had no right to tax them, to overrule their R e m ^n ly officials, to judge their citizens, or to demand Empire military and other services from them. They thought it enough to send him a few presents and some vague pro- fessions of loyalty at the time of his accession. Frederick I, however, a nephew of Bishop Otto of Freising and an emperor of the House of Hohenstaufen who reigned from 1 1 52 to 1 190, made a great effort to bring the cities truly under his jurisdiction. Frederick, though of only medium height, had a majestic presence and lordryjjersonality. His hair was yellow and his red beard led the Italians to nickname him Frederick "Barba-rossa." He was fond of reading history Barbarossa and took Charlemagne as his model. Although he could on occasion indulge in those fits of stern anger which medieval monarchs found so useful in dealing with their rude subjects and rough vassals, he was as a general rule considerate and kindly, and clement to the conquered, and was greatly loved and respected by the Germans. A fact which con- tributed much to his popularity was that he possessed all the qualities and attributes which went to make up the ! thorough knight. Though he was devout and went on cru- | sades both in his youth before he became emperor and in old age at the close of his reign, he had much trouble with the Papacy. And though he was an industrious ruler and indefatigable warrior, he was to find the communes of northern Italy too much for him. Frederick was handicapped in his Italian policy by troubles at home in Germany with the rival House of Welf , Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria, who had pre- Guelfsand . vented his father from being elected emperor in Ghibellines 1 125. Now Henry the Lion built up great Welf possessions in Germany and refused to aid Barbarossa in his Italian campaigns. This strife of Welfs and Hohenstaufens in Ger- many was paralleled in Italy by the struggle between the