X-Nico

8 unusual facts about Guelphs and Ghibellines


Aimery IV of Narbonne

By 1289, Aimery had so distinguished himself that he was put in command of the Guelph troops massed to attack the Ghibellines of Arezzo.

Conrad of Urslingen

In 1190, he was chased from Spoleto by the ascendant Guelph powers, but he regained his duchy in 1195.

Florentine Histories

The first of the eight books is a general picture of the history of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to 1215; the second book actually begins to discuss the history of Florence, with the narration of the feud between Buondelmenti/Donati and Uberti/Amidei, that according to tradition corroborated by Dante would unchain the conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines in the city.

Fra Dolcino

Dolcino left Vercelli between 1280 and 1290 and the researches of Orioli show that in the same period the fights between Guelphs and Ghibellines caused many victims on both sides in the city; the fear of being involved in these fights could better explain his decision to leave and join the initially pacifist movement of Segarelli.

Hans Kelsen

The study makes a rigorous examination of the "two swords doctrine" of Pope Gelasius I, along with Dante's distinct sentiments in the Roman Catholic debates between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and Kelsen's conversion to Catholicism was contemporaneous to the book's completion in 1905.

Kingdom of Cyprus

In 1229 one of the Ibelin regents was forced out of power by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, who brought the struggle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines to the island.

Maghinardo Pagani

During the wars between Guelphs and Ghibellines, he sided initially for the former, fighting for Florence against Arezzo at the battle of Campaldino.

Sicilian Vespers

Two later Guelph Tuscan histories, the Liber Jani de Procida et Palialoco and the Leggenda di Messer Gianni di Procida, possibly relying on the Rebellamentu or the Rebellamentus lost source, follow it in stressing John's involvement, but they portray him in a more critical light.


Francesco I Manfredi

He was the son of Alberghetto (or Alberghettino) Manfredi, one of the main Guelph leader of Romagna, from whom he inherited the lordships of Brisighella, Quarneto and Baccagnano, to which Francesco added other lands starting from 1309.

François Grimaldi

Francesco Grimaldi (François, in French) called il Malizia ("the Cunning"), was the Genoese leader of the Guelphs who captured the Rock of Monaco on the night of 8 January 1297.

Gherardo III da Camino

A guelph exponent, in 1278 he signed an alliance with Padua, Cremona, Brescia, Parma, Modena and Ferrara against the Ghibelline Verona.

Guido Bonatti

His employers were all Ghibellines (supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor), who were in conflict with the Guelphs (supporters of the Pope), and all were excommunicated at some time or another.


see also