So matters remained until Frederic II, the grandson of
Barbarossa, having firmly established himself in his Sicilian heritage, began
to meditate a closer union between his dominions north and south of the Alps.
The better to secure his communications with Germany, he prepared to enforce in
Lombardy the imperial rights reserved at Constance (1226). At once the dormant
Lombard League revived. The Alpine passes were so effectually blockaded that
Frederic was left entirely dependent on his Sicilian forces. He turned the
flank of the League at length, by an alliance with Ezzelin da Romano, the
tyrant of Verona, which gave him access to the Brenner pass; but the League
retaliated by lending support to his rebellious son, Henry, King of the
Germans. So began another war in Lombardy. Legnano was brilliantly avenged on
the field of Cortenuova (1237), where the Emperor routed the Milanese and
captured the carroccio, the symbol of their independence.
But he, like
his grandfather, was worn out by the difficulties of siege warfare; and in 1240
he turned southward to reduce the States of the Church. One more attempt he
made on Lombardy in the winter of 1247-1248. But a disastrous fiasco destroyed
his hopes and gave a mortal blow to his prestige. For five months he blockaded
Parma, and the city was at the last gasp, when he imprudently dismissed a part
of his troops. The garrison saw their opportunity, and made a desperate sortie
while the Emperor was absent on a hunting expedition. They surprised and burned
the strongly fortified camp which he had named Victoria; his baggage and even
his crown jewels were captured; more than half of his army were slain or taken,
and the rest fled in confusion to Cremona (18th February 1248). It was
necessary for Frederic to beat a retreat, and he appeared no more in Lombardy.
His son Enzio, whom he left to represent him, was captured next year by the Bolognese
and sentenced to perpetual captivity.
