Christian of Mainz leads a powerful alliance between Genoa, Lucca, Siena, and the Guidi counts. The alliance’s troops ravage the territory of rival Pisa. The conflict then stalls in a series of small, minor skirmishes. Christian then moves to attack the territories of Count Ildebrandino degli Aldobrandeschi, in the Grosseto area. But then the arrival of 150 Pisan knights restores the balance, and at this point Christian of Mainz abandons the field and marches on to Lazio. Neither diplomatic nor military skill has enabled the imperial legate to overcome the intricate rivalries of the Italian communes. The cities of Tuscany are on the verge of enormous demographic and cultural growth, preventing Christian of Mainz’s imperial forces from making a difference.
