The Investiture Controversy with the Papacy breaks out. Many cities side with the latter, rejecting the authority of the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire gradually loses control over Italy’s cities, and the authority of the communes increasingly asserts itself. The commune experience is based on the idea of liberty and equality of citizens: communities of free men, in which power emanates from the bottom, from popular consensus towards rulers, usually elected annually, with the participation of the entire population.
