A fractured HRE (a map of a WI)

[Shadow Knight]

Good work, SK. I've always something to pick on, though:
[*]Duchy of Lower Lorraine: OTL Godfrey the Hunchback (who, notwithstanding his name, appears to have been a fair general) died in 1072. In 1076 Henry IV gave the Duchy to his son Conrad. When Conrad was created King of Germany, in 1087, the duchy went to Godfrey of Bouillon (the conqueror of Jerusalem). If Godfrey dies in 1080, Conrad needs another title in Germany around 1076 (in Italy he became Margrave of Turin). Would not know which one, though. Upper Lorraine? Burgundy was not yet a Duchy, I think.

Might he have given Swabia then instead of the first Hohenstaufen, who is then given the Duchy of Lower Lorraine or maybe Bavaria?

[*]Beatrix marriage: a "Sicilian count" would not do. The legitimate daughter of the marchionness of Tuscany (among other titles) and the Duke of Lower Lorraine cannot marry under her status. Roger Borsa or Bohemond of Taranto (both sons of Robert Guiscard) would be a more proper choice. However, remember that Mathilda's most urgent need is to find allies in Germany, and to control as much as possible the Brenner pass (which is the normal route of invasion for the HRE emperors). In OTL she ended up marrying Fulk the Fat (26 years her junior) to get a firm alliance with the Dukes of Bavaria and Carniola. I believe that in TTL her daughter Beatrix will be the bargaining counter. Fulk V apparently was phisically disgusting (and likely impotent). Still he was a survivor: marriages between ruling house are not made for love. [neither Roger Borsa nor Bohemond of Antioch appear to have been great guys, mind]

Good point. I swear I tried looking at various eligible people but they all were already married, well into their advanced age with heirs of suitable age to replace them (which limits a possible alliance to really how many years the old codger will remain alive).

Some additional searching yields the possibility of Thierry II, Duke of Lorraine (assumed the title in 1070, was married twice but I couldn't find when).

An intresting tidbit that I found while looking for possible matches was Godfrey the Hunchback was killed (assassinated it looks like) soon after suppressing a a rebellion in 1076 in the County of Flanders (IIRC it was there but it is was certaintly somewhere in Friesland). It looks like it was done by one Robert (oddly enough) of Flanders who was the stepfather of one Dirk V (who being quite young was under the regency of his mother; enter William bishop of Ultrecht who under charter from Henry IV took a good chunk of their lands). Would it not be delicious irony that Beatrix weds Dirk V (possibly a second marriage for him but could be his first because of the fighting with Henry IV) the stepson of the one who instigated Godfrey's death in OTL.

A marriage to one who will gain basically all of the County of Holland (and Friesland) would be a powerful alliance...I think I might just go with this (add in a claim to Lower Lorraine and you might just get to see a Lothariangia).

[*]Boniface's first claim to glory is a bit premature, possibly (and I'd bet that mathilda would have kept her precious son away from a messy battle like Volta Mantovana). Still it is well in line with medieval histories: the grandson of Boniface the elder and the son of Godfrey the Hunchback belongs to a battlefield.

Yeah but it sounded like a really good idea and I needed a somewhat plausible way to let the battle not become a defeat. Besides it does set up some ideas I have for him.

Looks like I'm going to be a doing another rewrite...

 

[Shadow Knight]

[Rewrite]

1080 AD –

(January) Rudolf wins the battle of Flarcheim but fails to defeat Henry IV’s forces completely.

(March) Rudolf successfully convinces the Pope to recognize him and again excommunicate Henry.

(April) Godfrey the Hunchback dies suppressing a minor rebellion of anti-royalists within his duchy. Henry IV installs Frederick of Büren, the first Hohenstaufen, as Duke of Upper Lower Lorraine.

(October) Henry IV and Rudolf von Rheinfeld meet once again near the Elster River. However this time Rudolf does not meet with success as he is mortally wounded and dies soon after the battle from his wounds thus leaving the now fractured anti-royalists with no leadership. Henry awards his son Conrad the Duchy of Swabia.

1089 AD –

Henry IV marries Eupraxia of Kiev, the daughter of Vsevolod I, Prince of Kiev and assumes the name of Adelaide upon her coronation.

(April) Beatrix is married to Floris II of Friesland and Count of Holland, also known as Floris the Fat. This union ties together a powerful pro-papal faction in Northern Germany together with Matilda's faction in Italy. Ironically enough it was Floris' father, Dirk V, that was behind the death of her father Godfrey the Hunchback. Dirk V had succeeded in 1080 where his stepfather, Robert of Flanders, had failed in 1076 to kill Godfrey.

[/Rewrite]

 

[Shadow Knight]

Um it should read that Frederik is Duke of Lower Lorraine, not Upper Lower Lorraine.

 

[Shadow Knight]

Part II

1090 AD –

Pope Urban II continues holding Synods denouncing Clement III, and renewing declarations against simony, lay investiture, and clerical marriages.

(June) Godfrey, second son of Matilda and Godfrey the Hunchback, marries Adelisa daughter of Roger I, ruler of Norman Sicily. (She was to wed Henry Count of Monte San Angelo but he was killed suppressing local Islamic forces in the newly acquired Duchy of Tripoli while serving under Roger Borsa.)

Matilda begins to secretly correspond with Conrad, son of Henry IV.

1091 AD –

(Spring) Fearing the power that Matilda was drawing to her and thus the Pope Henry IV again marches into Italy.

(September) On the road from Ravenna, stronghold of Clement III, Henry’s forces are ambushed by a force led by Boniface and are routed. However due to the timely arrival of some late arriving cavalry (led by Frederik von Staufen Duke of Upper Lorraine) Boniface’s boldness in attacking Henry does not lead to a complete victory and sees Henry’s forces retire from the field in good order.

Matilda receives word from Sicily of the birth of her second grandchild, Constance. (Godfrey and Adelisa stayed in the court of Sicily when it was revealed she was pregnant so soon after the wedding.)

(November) Boniface and Adelaide celebrate the birth of twins. The boy named Robert and the girl Matilda. (He named them after his stepfather and his mother.)

1092 AD –

(Early) Under the influence of Matilda of Tuscany Conrad joins the Papal faction thus turning against his father Henry IV. (A year earlier in this TL than OTL due to Matilda’s better fortunes.)

Henry IV having returned to Germany to gather more troops after the failure of the previous years rails at his son’s betrayal.

(March) Beatrix and Floris II have a son named Dirk VI.

(April) Pope Urban II arranges for Conrad to marry Felicia, daughter of Roger I of Sicily.

(May) With support from Pope Urban II, Matilda of Tuscany, and his new father-in-law Conrad is crowned King of Italy in the city of Milan. (To say Henry is displeased does not quite accurately describe it.)

1093 AD –

(Early) Conrad, as a symbol of piety and humility, is appointed to be Pope Urban II’s Strator leading the Papal cavalry.

(May) Moving quickly to suppress his son’s rebellion Henry IV amasses a large army near Ravenna.

(June) Pope Urban II promises Conrad the Imperial crown.

(July) Near the city of Bologna the forces of Henry and Conrad clash. At a critical junction in the battle Conrad gets cut off from the rest of his forces and is surrounded by elements of Henry’s army. As his defenders slowly fall to protect their young king Boniface, commanding a section of the royal cavalry, sees the events unfolding from his position makes a quick decision. Charging in with barely more than a handful of men manage to break through and allow Conrad to escape from his precarious position. (Some Historians/military analysts will later argue this point that it was more along the lines of hundred men for the forces surrounding Conrad were quite numerous.)

Even with this dramatic rescue Conrad and Boniface were forced to withdraw as Henry’s more numerous force was outflanking them. Still this earned much gratitude from Conrad and Boniface was rewarded well, not just with titles but Conrad’s friendship also. Boniface also came out of the battle with the moniker “the Bold”. (Others call him ‘the Reckless’.)

(August) Felicia gives birth to Conrad II, but sadly she dies while in childbirth when the bleeding does not stop.

Henry’s and Conrad’s forces clash in a series of indecisive battles that slowly pushed Conrad towards Milan.

(September) Henry’s forces succeed in forcing Conrad to retreat into Milan which is promptly placed under siege.

Boniface who had been in Tuscany receiving additional forces from his mother and stepfather quickly received word of Conrad’s dire predicament and races North with as many men as he can gather.

(October) Arriving upon the siege of Milan Boniface is dismayed at the news that Henry’s huge siege engines were already in position pounding at the walls. As much as Boniface would like to do something rash and bold a disaster here will cripple the anti-royalist factions power in Italy, but an idea comes to him when his scouts return word of the disposition of Henry’s camp.

As the day dawned the bulk of Boniface’s troops moved to a position that threatened Henry’s supply line back to Ravenna and Germany. As Henry moved men to displace Boniface’s troops Conrad’s forces sallied from Milan in attempt at a pincer movement to destroy Henry’s forces. Henry was expecting precisely this and laid a cunning trap to deceive his son. For during the night his scouts had informed him of Boniface’s arrival and he plotted a deception to lure his son out.

As the day progressed Conrad’s forces were being pressed sorely as they were pushed back into Milan and Boniface’s troops the same further to the East Henry was on the verge of victory when a cavalry force of some five hundred appeared to his North. At first he assumed it was elements from the army under Frederik Staufen returning from battle with the troops that had arrived from Tuscany as they appeared exhausted and bore the flag of a loyal vassal. However as the exhausted troops came closer they began to array in battle formation and the flag was thrown down to be replaced with Boniface’s own. (Boniface had during the night left his brother Godfrey in command with orders to take a position that threatened Henry’s supply lines while he took the bulk of the cavalry and swept far to the North to avoid Henry’s scouts and under the banner of vassal loyal to Henry, the standard captured in earlier campaigns, drew close enough to Henry’s lines to spring his surprise.)

As Boniface’s cavalry smashed into Henry’s lines confusion reigned. However his numbers were too small and as soon as Henry’s forces began to react the tide soon turned. Just as it seemed the raiders would be overwhelmed they broke off and sped away to the South towards Tuscany. The raid paid a heavy toll (It is believe that half of Boniface’s raiders were killed) but succeeded in their mission. For it had hit the command area of Henry’s forces and killed several of the nobles commanding sections of the army in the siege of Milan but the greatest prize was that of Henry IV himself.

During the raid it was Boniface’s hope to catch Henry in a pincer and his cavalry raid to aid Conrad, but things did not go quite as planned (He had to range farther North than he planned to circle the battlefield unseen and Conrad’s forces were not quite as successful in sallying than he hoped.). As the raid made its strike several of his men had knocked Henry IV unconscious when he was knocked of his horse. Seeing that Conrad’s forces were fairing badly Boniface knew that his attempt had failed but with Henry IV, at least temporarily his prisoner, a new opportunity had come. He had his men toss the unconscious Henry on a horse and retreated as best he could to the South eventually meeting his brother and the troops under his command (Godfrey held as long as he could but Frederik forced him to retire from the field at about the same time Boniface’s raid was occurring.).

Seeing that his goal was reached Frederik quickly turned his army around (leaving a guard to watch the prisoner’s and wounded and to keep on eye on the Tuscan troops) and made haste towards Milan (several miles away). Upon reaching Milan he saw the effects of the raid and quickly made his way to the Henry’s tent but to his surprise he only finds several nobles bickering amongst themselves.

Frederik received blank stares when he asks where Henry is.


------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think I'll leave off for there right now and let it digest. So comments and feedback please. (Anyone else but LordKalvan even reading this?)

 

[LordKalvan]

Good. However:
- Robert is not a name used in the Canossa family. I understand the stepfather and so on. Still it does not sound right.
- Papal Strator was not a commander of the papal cavalry. He was the guy that - on foot - led the pope's horse during the ceremonial processions. Still Conrad got the title in OTL, and it was quite a honor.
- Boniface the Reckless, no name was better earned!!! I was hoping for a colder, skillful general (who, by definition, never leads from the front). Hope he's going to improve with age (if he gets to an age, i mean)

 

[LordKalvan]

I like the connection with Flanders (and it is what i am looking for in the future: Lotharingia). There are however 2 houses that must be brought into the orbit of the Canossas: the Welfs and the Savoys (the former controls the access to Germany, the latter the access to Flanders).

Godfrey (another non-Canossa name, sigh) needs a title: Duke of Spoleto [a title that the Canossa inherited early in the century, and was confirmed by the pope - even if the emperor had other ideas]

 

[Shadow Knight]

Good. However:
- Robert is not a name used in the Canossa family. I understand the stepfather and so on. Still it does not sound right.

Alright, got any suggestions? It won't be the first time I've rewrote a part of this because of your suggestions nor do I feel will it be the last. In fact if you have a list of male/female names that would be awesome cause I'll need them.

- Papal Strator was not a commander of the papal cavalry. He was the guy that - on foot - led the pope's horse during the ceremonial processions. Still Conrad got the title in OTL, and it was quite a honor.

Ah I guess I misunderstood that...only for ceremonial processions who led it when the Pope's troops fought?

- Boniface the Reckless, no name was better earned!!! I was hoping for a colder, skillful general (who, by definition, never leads from the front). Hope he's going to improve with age (if he gets to an age, i mean)

Yes, he is quite the reckless at his young age...a little seasoning will mellow him out. Youth gives that feeling of invincibility but events can change a man to see differently expect the same for Boniface. He's still in his twenties and so far his schemes have worked out (Or in the case of the last one luck saved it from being a disaster, expect him to have learned something from this. He is no Alexander the Great who believes himself touched by God(s).) but let's say that his mother pleased (exstatic actually) with the results might just treat him the same way when he pulled the same crap when he was twelve. (Mother's tend to do stuff like that on occassion...especially tough biddies like Matilda of Canossa irrespective of the age of their children.)

 

[Shadow Knight]

I like the connection with Flanders (and it is what i am looking for in the future: Lotharingia). There are however 2 houses that must be brought into the orbit of the Canossas: the Welfs and the Savoys (the former controls the access to Germany, the latter the access to Flanders).

I looked really hard for someone in that area so I'm glad you like it (too bad she had to marry someone called 'the Fat' though. )

Hmm, I might have to change a few things from what I've had planned but it looks like the young Laura is also going to be marrying a fat man (Welf the Fat, Duke of Bavaria...or the heir to the Duchy of Bavaria.)

Savoy will definetly be brought into the sphere of the Canossas

Godfrey (another non-Canossa name, sigh) needs a title: Duke of Spoleto [a title that the Canossa inherited early in the century, and was confirmed by the pope - even if the emperor had other ideas]

Yes, Matilda got to name the first son and Godfrey got to name the second and she got to name both of the daughters...a fair deal (even if Beatrix/Beatrice just happens to be the name of both of their mothers).

That's what I've had in mind but do have a list of titles? What titles would Bonface have receeived from his mother?

I've got some ideas of what to do with Henry but do you have any thoughts on the matter (I don't think he is going to remain emperor though.).

[rewrite]
1093 AD –

(Early) Conrad, as a symbol of piety and humility, is appointed to be Pope Urban II’s Strator.

(August) Felicia gives birth to Conrad II. (I've decided I'm going to let her live.)

[/rewrite]

 

[Shadow Knight]

How about Laura marrying instead of Welf the Fat but his brother Henry IX (Called the Black)? He was administrating the family holdings south of the Alps until his brother's death when he became Duke (His brother having no children with Matilda in OTL and this ATL, for obvious reasons, also he never remarried in OTL to have any heirs...maybe it will be a little different this time if he marries someone his own age instead of one 26 years his senior the first time around.) which would help to control the passes from German into Italy from that direction.

 

[Shadow Knight]

Okay here is Part IIb:

Enjoy and please comments and criticisms are welcome.

[October 1094 cont.]

He didn’t have long to wait as an emissary from Boniface declaring that he did in fact have Henry IV as his prisoner. Quickly silencing the uproar Frederik took a letter presented him by the emissary who left saying he would return tomorrow to hear their reply.

The letter stated that Henry would remain safe and sound under Boniface’s protection however if his forces should continue to siege Milan he could not guarantee Henry’s safety. Boniface offers to meet a delegation from Henry’s forces to negotiate in a small church located between there two forces.

The nobles argue the rest of day and well into the night. The majority argue to take Milan (it surely cannot withstand another attack) and seize Conrad and exchange the two. Others argue to march South and get Henry back while leaving Conrad bottled up, it is only Frederik and his loyal retainers that argue to negotiate for Henry (he is his father-in-law after all). But to no avail most of the men hold no allegiance to Frederik (and the mercenaries that have been employed want the loot they will get from sacking Milan) and see the attack on Milan as their only option, with Conrad in their hand they can safely negotiate from at worst an equal position (Frederik argues that Conrad might very well die in the assault but logic fails to sway many.).

At dawn the next day the emissary returns and receives, to Frederik’s dismay, the nobles’ refusal to negotiate. The emissary accepts their answer and leaves as the army besieging Milan prepare for an assault.

Boniface’s scouts quickly report to him of Henry’s forces preparations for an assault on the city. Not unexpected but he had hoped they would negotiate Boniface gathers his troops leaving only the most severely wounded in the care of monks of the abbey he camped near. Summoning to him twenty of his most loyal retainers he placed Henry under their guard and set them to take Henry to his mother in Canossa.

The siege proceeds in a haphazard manner as several of the nobles fail to coordinate between them as they don’t agree on who is in charge (Frederik refuses to participate in the assault and chooses to move his forces in position to challenge Boniface if he moves North to intercede.) and doesn’t make any progress until later in the day.

It is almost midday before Boniface can bring his forces North when he faces off with Frederik von Staufen. With the bulk of Henry’s forces tied up on the assault of Milan only Frederik’s forces (and those of his retainers and a few nobles he was able to convince to join him) are free to counter this movement by Boniface. Both sides had bloodied themselves the previous day’s fighting but with it only being Frederik’s forces Boniface has a majority of arms if a bit low on cavalry.

The previous day’s failure to relieve the city heavy on his mind Boniface moved to engage Frederik’s forces lest he be outflanked or cutoff from retreat. Frederik being the competent commander that he is delays Boniface for several hours but the weight of numbers forces him to withdraw back towards Ravenna. Leaving some men under his brother Godfrey to watch Frederik’s men, the prisoners, and wounded Boniface takes the bulk of his forces towards Milan. By the time he reaches it the city has already had several breaches in the walls.

Wasting no time, though he is outnumbered, Boniface achieves a local area of numerical superiority for a period of time allowing access to one of Milan’s city gates. Getting Conrad to abandon the city proves his most difficult challenge. He prevailed and withdrew with his men (Conrad and what defenders that could make it out also.) to the South meeting up with Godfrey at the abbey. Conrad is said to have vowed to rebuild Milan as he looked back upon the sacked city with a large column of smoke leaping up to the sky.


------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone out there?

 

[LordKalvan]

I'll have to look at a name list, as well as to the titles.
One name should certainly be Atto, who was the founder of the dinasty in 900 something.
Btw, you may know or not that Henry IV and Mathilda are first cousins, through their mothers.

 

[Shadow Knight]

I'll have to look at a name list, as well as to the titles.
One name should certainly be Atto, who was the founder of the dinasty in 900 something.
Btw, you may know or not that Henry IV and Mathilda are first cousins, through their mothers.

Okay thanks.


LOL! I'm not surprised the more I look into the dynastic ties (Wikipedia has some good flow charts on some of the families.) the more I get the feeling that all of Europe's woes were nothing more than an extended family bickering over the family jewels when grandma and grandpa died.

 

[LordKalvan]

Okay thanks.


LOL! I'm not surprised the more I look into the dynastic ties (Wikipedia has some good flow charts on some of the families.) the more I get the feeling that all of Europe's woes were nothing more than an extended family bickering over the family jewels when grandma and grandpa died.

It is very close to what you say: in particular in the centuries between the 10th and the 13th century all the big families are heavily intermarried. For example (and I admit it was quite a surprise for me) the Welf family in Germany and the Este family in Italy are but two branches of the same family (and the Welf dukes appear to come from either branch). You may find a newcomer only when someone like Robert Guiscard pulls a big one; but it happens once in a blue moon.

 

[LordKalvan]

Atto and Sigifredo were certainly Canossians names.
Titles of the family: dukes of Spoleto and Camerino, Margaves of Tuscany, counts of Mantua, Piacenza, Lucca and Ferrara (these should be the main titles - however mathilda was granted the title of Countess palatine for Italy : effectively, a vice-regal title).

The history of the lorraine duchies appears to be much more complicate than it might appear at a first glance.
For some strange reason - which has also to do with marriages beyond the permitted limit of consanguineity in the house of Bar - Beatrice (the mother of Mathilda) had the best claim over both duchies after the death of her father; she became for a short period a ward of Godfrey the bearded (the same who later married her after the death of Boniface, and who became also duke of Upper Lorraine. The choice of Henry III to give her hand to Boniface might also come from the desire not to have her marry any of the German dukes (who might gain a powerful claim over Lorraine), and at the same time to give her to a man who had not a power base North of the Alps, but might always march there (as he did in 1034, when Conrad II called him to help put down the revolt of the count of Champagne). Still, through Beatrice and Godfrey the Hunchback, the young Boniface has a strong claim over both the Lorraine duchies.

 

[Shadow Knight]

Thanks LordKalvan! (Sorry it took so long to respond but my internet was down yesterday. )

Got any suggestions of what they might do with Henry as a prisoner (I've got some but I want to get some outside ideas to make sure I do something plausible.)?

 

[LordKalvan]

Thanks LordKalvan! (Sorry it took so long to respond but my internet was down yesterday. )

Got any suggestions of what they might do with Henry as a prisoner (I've got some but I want to get some outside ideas to make sure I do something plausible.)?

Good question. IMO, they cannot do a lot: I'm thinking about a formalisation of the vice-regal title for the Canossas, recognising Conrad as king of Italy and reinstating him as king of Germany (which is more or less the same as nominating him to the succession of Henry IV). It would be a good strategy to push out a bit the borders of the kingdom of Italy (ideally up to the Brenner pass in the north, and to include Carniola and Istria in the east). I am not sure that a medieval mind would think in such terms, though.
Recognising the rights of Mathilda and Boniface over the Lorraine duchies would be also important (and this is much more medieval): again, it does not mean much up to the moment that the Canossas become capable of projecting real power beyond the Alps; still ensuring that the might (when becomes available) will be supported by the right is a good policy.
These are all lay policies: obviously Henry will abase himself in front of the pope, and so on and so forth (usual kow-towing)

 

[Shadow Knight]

[Rewrite]

1091 AD –

(November) Boniface and Adelaide celebrate the birth of twins. The boy named Atto and the girl Matilda.

[Added]
1093 AD -

(June)

Pope Urban II raises the city of Pisa to the rank of archbishopric. He also awarded them supremacy over Corsica and Sardinia. (Pisa technically part of Tuscany but in effect virtually independent for some fifteen years.)
[Added]

[/Rewrite]

 

[Shadow Knight]

Part IIc

With the capture of Milan but no Conrad the supporters of Henry IV were in a dilemma as to what to do. Frederik von Staufen was able to persuade them this time to wait and see what kind of agreements could be made.

(Late October) Henry IV is held in Canossa castle in relative comfort but under heavy guard while Conrad, Matilda, and the rest argue and prepare for what their next actions are to be.

(November) Having come to agreement they present Henry IV with their list of demands that will secure his freedom. After a week or so of balking at their demands Henry gave in.

He agreed to the following:

Recognize Conrad as King of Germany and King of Italy.
Conrad gets the newly created Duchy of Milan (which Henry, from his personal estates, will have to ‘donate’ some hard currency to help rebuild)
Disband the large army currently occupying Milan and return them to Germany
The House of Canossa is granted a formalization of the Vice-Regal status within the Kingdom of Italy
Agrees to recognize Matilda’s and Boniface’s rights in the Lorraine duchies (I’m still a little unsure of how this plays out. Does he just recognize they have a claim but doesn’t officially turn it over to them?)
All the Imperial titles he stripped from Matilda are returned
Several other minor lands are exchanged in compensation for the destruction wrought on the House of Canossa’s land during Henry’s campaigns in Italy
Henry is to recant several promises he made towards several cities within Italy (Pisa being the most prominent among those named) [Note: Matilda has a plan for the cities of Northern Italy and Tuscany]
Denounce Clement III and Henry must go to Rome and ‘discuss’ things with Pope Urban II

(Late November) Henry’s army disperses back into Germany (or at least as far as they can before the snows close the passes) once it is verified that he is unharmed and on his way to Rome.

In Ravenna, Clement III denounces the peace treaty as Henry was coerced by knife point making it invalid. (Quietly he welcomes several nobles from Henry’s dispersing army swelling his own ranks as he promises to reverse this once Henry is free. The snow blocking the passes gave him more time to gather disaffected nobles than he would otherwise have had.)

Henry IV begins his slow procession towards Rome (This trip to Rome which lasted over a month is memorialized in a painting located in the Vatican during the 15th Century.)

(December) Henry arrives in Rome only to find out that Pope Urban II has gone to France upon an urgent task and has commanded that Henry wait until he returns. Henry, not amused, is left cooling his heals as a guest of the Pope until his return several months later.

1095 AD –

(January) Conrad returns to Milan and begins some initial planning to rebuild this city. (He’s stuck in Italy too at the moment with the passes closed.)

(February) Laura, daughter of Matilda of Canossa and Godfrey the Hunchback, marries Henry IX second son of the Duke of Bavaria, Welf I. Henry IX, called the Black, administrates the Welf family holdings south of the Alps thus solidifying Matilda of Canossa’s hold on the entrance into Italy from Germany.

(A little glimpse into the next part more later. )
(March) Crusade!

 

[LordKalvan]

Good work. The question of the Lorraine duchies is legally quite complicated (the frequent intermarriages of the Bar family - even well beyond the allowed limits of consanguineity - muddled the issue completely); however, and for the purpose of this story, it should be enough that the emperor recognises the rights. Even if the duchies are in other hands right now, at worse it will be for the lifetime of the current holder (or until the emperor finds him another duchy).

 

[LordKalvan]

Nitpickings:
- it would be the Duchy of Lombardy (there is already a Margravate of Lombardy, with the Margrave "governing" from Milan). If you look at the names of the Duchies in this age, they are all named after regions, and not cities. Now there are a couple of points worth considering: the current margrave of Milan is Albert Azzo II Welf [as an aside, the guy surprisingly lived up to the ripe age of 101 years, dieing in 1097. At this moment, he is already with a foot in his grave]. Got the family name? His eldest son is Welf IV, duke of Bavaria and Carniola (the father of Welf V the Fat), and from him the German Welf-Este will descend.; his second son Hugh inherited the County of Maine, in France (the dowry of his mother), but left no issue and sold the county; the youngest son, Fulc, is the founder of the italian branch of the family, the Fulc-Este (from the castle of Este, near Padua, built by Albert Azzo II). We are again mixed up with the usual nice family issues. The Welf family supports the pope and the Canossas against the empire. It would not do to offend them. Milan is more and more unruly, and is becoming a big city (population doubled up in these years, from 45,000 to 90,000, which is a lot in this time and age). There is again the need to find an accommodation between the free cities and the aristocracy if Mathilda's dream has to be fulfilled. My proposal is: the margravate of Lombardy will cease with the deat of the margrave, and will be replaced by the Duchy of Lombardy, with capital seat in Pavia (Pavia is smaller, less unruly than Milan - even if in 1024 rebelled against Henry II and burned down the imperial palace - and was traditionally the seat of the kings of Italy); the Duchy of Lombardy (which brings also the title of Count Palatine of Italy) will be given to Boniface (and Pavia is a fine seat, since it is close to the Po river, and the traditional Canossa fiefs in Piacenza and Guastalla); the house of Este is compensated by being invested as margraves of Veneto, with their seat in Este. Conrad will not have a fixed seat, but will travel Italy and Germany as needed. Milan will be rebuilt [now the problem is this: Milan will be likely to become the major power in Lombardy in any TL, given its population basis and geographical position. OTL, Milan ascendancy begun in the late 11th century and went on progressively until the late 15th century and the Italian wars. Mathilda's task (and a very difficult one) will be to hammer out a charter for the free cities, detailing both their rights and their obligations, toward their sovereign as well as toward other free cities or feudal lords. OTL, this did not happen: the free cities in Italy got their rights with the sword and with the flame (and with their deep coffers). OTOH, the situation was very unstable, with leagues and alliances forming and collapsing, cities destroyed and civil unrest. Ultimately, all the cities had to accept a lord which was strong enough to guarantee the peace. It would be great if this were to be the true Mathildan legacy: a charter of rights (the Magna Charta is not very far away, in any case. And the jurists are already established at the university of Bologna).
- OTL Mathilda concentrated too much on her northern fiefs, to the detriment of the traditional Canossa holding in Tuscany. Besides the intermittent war with Pisa (which is at the top of her power in these years), also Lucca revolted against her. Florence only stayed loyal. In TTL, Mathilda can probably have more time and leisure to confront and solve these issues too.
- the pope (as sovereign lord of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica) grants feudal right to Pisa (and not a supremacy which Pisa had already got) over Corsica and Sardinia (the same thing he did with Robert Guiscard, when he was invested Count of Sicily).