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Battle of Hattin, Galilee, now Israel. Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf) takes Jerusalem and defeats the Frankish Crusaders; Raynald of Antioch is executed by Saladin; Pope Gregory VIII (Alberto de Morra) dies of a heart attack upon hearing the news.

The Domesday Book records the estates and royal rights and thus provides a basis for the authority of Henry II Plantagenet, King of England. It provides solid financial institutions (the Court of the Exchequer) and officials closely dependent on the throne (the sheriffs).

Piacenza. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa places his old ally Cremona under ban. Cremona resists but then decides to capitulate, accepting the destruction of its fortified town and the reconstruction of Crema.

Crema. Frederick Barbarossa proceeds to solemnly install the Cremaschi on the site where their town originally stood. The operation is opposed by the Cremonese, so the entire operation is carried out with an armed escort. The spectacle is unusual: Barbarossa commands an army composed primarily

Frederick’s army, with reinforcements from Pavia, entered Milanese territory for the umpteenth time. Faced with Frederick’s reckless move, the Lombards decided to respond with equal boldness: they gave battle without waiting for the full mobilization of their forces.

Alexandria. Imperial troops begin to pound the city’s defenses. The Pavia troops complete a tunnel, allowing the Teutonic Knights to emerge in force inside the city perimeter. However, the defenders’ morale does not collapse. The Alexandrians fight, and the Teutonic Knights find themselves facing the

First siege of Aleppo, Syria by Saladin, the Crusaders resist

Genoa. Obizzo Malaspina and his son Morroello, likely supported by the League, led an army of 250 knights and 3,000 infantry, occupying Chiavari and Mount Sestri, threatening Genoa. Only in 1174 were they persuaded to desist and retreat, abandoning their ambitions on the Eastern Riviera.

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

The Sunni Kurd Saladin (as he is known to Europeans – full name: Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) unites Egypt and Syria, ending the Shiite dynasty of the Fatimids.

Henry II of England undertakes the conquest of Ireland.

Mongolia. Yesugei, father of Temujin (the future Genghis Khan), is invited to dinner by the leader of the rival clan and is poisoned. Temujin returns to assume leadership of the clan, but his authority is not recognized and the clan falls apart. It falls to

Settlement of the Aztecs in the Valley of Mexico.

The fifth floor of the Ghirlandina Tower in Modena is completed.

Frederick Barbarossa’s Germans left Pavia in great secrecy, without even notifying their Lombard allies. They headed toward the Susa Valley to return to Germany.

Pavia. Frederick Barbarossa pronounces a solemn condemnation of all the rebellious cities, with the exception of Cremona.

Milan. Archbishop Galdino della Sala resumes his office. Milan is finally reborn, and the triumph of Frederick II in 1162 is definitively erased.

The terrible Roman summer caught the imperial army unprepared. With the heat, the Anopheles mosquitoes that populated the Pontine Marshes south of Rome moved toward the city and carried the malaria bacillus. The first cases broke out on August 2nd. A week later, the first

Rome. First cases of malaria among Frederick’s troops.

Rome. Pope Paschal III, who was in Viterbo, was hastily recalled to Rome by Frederick Barbarossa and installed in St. Peter’s as antipope in opposition to Alexander III.

Tusculum, Lazio. The imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and the Roman communal army come face to face. The Romans, outnumbered, initially challenge the imperials, but they eventually gain the upper hand. The Roman cavalry swerves and retreats, fleeing. The imperial victory is overwhelming: 2,000 Romans

Piacenza also joins the League.

Lodi. It was the Lombard League’s first target. Lodi had always been a staunch ally of the Empire. Initially, the Milanese attempted to bring Lodi into the anti-Frederick camp, but faced with their firm refusal, they deployed before the city and began military operations. While

The consuls of Bergamo, Cremona, Brescia, and Mantua swore mutual aid in an unprecedented agreement destined to last fifty years. The general assemblies of each city solemnly ratified it with the oath of all adult citizens. The alliance aimed not to leave the Empire, but

Clandestine contacts, negotiations, and agreements revolutionized the political geography of northern Italy and created the first embryo of an entirely new alliance between cities, both in size, programmatic ambition, and the resounding results achieved in the end. This time, Cremona and Bergamo, old allies of

Frederick’s imperial army is marching towards Rome, and is spending the night near Castelnuovo Rangone.

The massive imperial army moves down from the Alps through the Camonica Valley, outflanking hostile Verona. The countryside is hostile, and Bergamo and Brescia, allies of Milan, are sacked.

Modena and Bologna renew their peace agreements, with an anti-imperial function.

Praise. The people of Milan also arrive, represented by a thousand men with 94 (or 100) banners. Finally, the Carroccio is made to bow before the Emperor. Finally, Frederick demands the surrender of 400 hostages.

Praise. 300 elected knights ask for forgiveness and kiss the Emperor’s foot. Among them is Master Guintelmo, who hands the sovereign the keys to the city.

Frederick imposed a long and humiliating surrender ceremony on Milan. The consuls in office presented themselves in Lodi bareheaded, surrendering their swords. Three days later, it was the turn of 300 elected knights to ask for forgiveness and kiss the Emperor’s foot. Among them was

The imperial envoy, Chancellor Rainald of Dassel, held the office of Legate General, acting in the sovereign’s stead. At his side was Bishop Hermann of Verdun, Imperial Vicar with judicial duties. Frederick Barbarossa thus sought to maintain tight control over Northern Italy.

Corno Vecchio Castle. Frederick Barbarossa takes the castle and has the hands of all the citizens of Milan who defended it amputated, then throws them into prison. The same mutilation is inflicted on all those who attempt to bring crops into the city. Six Milanese

Carcano, Brianza. The Milanese prepare a chariot and move to attack. The battle unfolds on a one-kilometer front. Frederick is likely caught by surprise, as the men who emerged from the chariot almost manage to reach the imperial camp. The battle becomes a furious melee.

Carcano, Brianza. A reckless Milanese operation leaves the Ambrosian troops exposed in the open. Frederick decides to take advantage of this. The imperial army swells on the march, reaching over 5,000 men, composed of 1,000 cavalry and the remainder infantry. The Milanese forces (plus 400

Frederick and his army of several thousand Teutonic Knights set fire to and destroyed the Milanese countryside, cutting off supplies to Milan. But the Milanese, thanks to the ingenuity of Master Guintelmo, produced a hundred armored chariots, triangular in shape, with sickle blades mounted on

Pope Alexander III excommunicates all Italian followers of Frederick and his pope Victor IV.

Synod of Pavia. Frederick’s envoy, Rainald of Dassel, declares Alexander deposed and enshrines Victor as Pope. Very few, however, recognize Victor as pope, and the emperor finds himself in a truly difficult situation.

Siege of Crema. After the inhabitants leave their homes unharmed, the city is razed to the ground and depopulated. Frederick claims victory, but the long and unexpected resistance of Crema, a small Italian town, against the immense imperial army puts him in difficulty and raises

Siege of Crema. The Cremonese “cat” is set alight by the builders themselves so they can build a new siege tower in its place. Conrad of Bavaria and his men attempt to enter the walls by crossing the Marchisio Bridge. But this shouldn’t seem too

Siege of Crema. The Cremonese, allies of the imperial besiegers, build a new war machine capable of hurling incendiary projectiles, consisting of barrels filled with resin, pitch, sulfur, oil, and lard. The “gatto” is heavily bombarded, but the besiegers manage to extinguish the flames and

Imperial troops besiege Crema. The Teutons lack the technical capabilities to build the necessary large siege engines, so the task falls to the Cremonese, who develop a colossal siege tower that impresses their contemporaries. It has a square base measuring 18 meters on each side

Throughout the Po Valley, a progressive anti-imperial front is forming against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

Modena. Easter Sunday. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa is a guest in the city. He grants Modena the privilege of establishing a mint to mint coins. Mutina is an imperial possession, although, since the emperor resides in distant Germany, the local nobles, divided between Guelphs and Ghibellines,

Piana di Roncaglia. A great assembly is convened, with all the plenipotentiaries of the Kingdom, clergy, nobles, and representatives of the cities of the Kingdom of Italy, part of the Holy Roman Empire. Four legal experts from the newly founded University of Bologna are also

Milan. The consuls of Milan, exhausted above all by the widespread destruction of the city’s crops and supplies, ask for a conditional peace. A complex ritual of submission and humiliation will take place, in which first the clergy, then the twelve consuls, leave the city

Milan. The Teutonic siege of the city is underway. The Germans move to attack the Roman arch. The Milanese garrison capitulates. From the top of the arch, the Teutonic troops bombard the Milanese, who, however, hastily build a tower called the “Onagro” and counterattack, hitting

After many difficulties (including 200 knights drowned while crossing the Adda), Frederick Barbarossa and his Teutons conquered Trezzo.

Tortona. The army of Pavia, allied with the Empire, appears before Tortona, still half-destroyed. The Milanese who had settled there are led by the consuls Maragallia di Alliate, inclined to attack, and Ugo di Pasciluco, inclined to wait. Maragallia prevails. The clash with the Pavia

Frederick Barbarossa’s imperial army encamped on the outskirts of Tortona, an ally of Milan. Already here, Frederick had the first inklings of how difficult it would be to besiege and capture the cities of Northern Italy. The siege was carried out using ladders, mobile towers,

London. The Bakers’ Guild is founded.

Frederick I Barbarossa spent much of his life on the battlefields, especially in Italy, before reaching a definitive peace in 1183.

Malachi dies in Clairvaux, assisted by Saint Bernard; Malachi is a Cistercian monk who was also bishop and primate of Ireland; he is also the author of the Prophecy on the Popes from Celestine II to the end of the world, in which each pontiff

The Delhi Sultanate: Muslims controlled much of India for nearly 4 centuries, first with the Ghurids from Afghanistan (1148 – 1206), then with Turkish and other Afghan dynasties (1206 – 1526)

Modena again invades Nonantola, allied with Bologna, and lays waste to it. The Pope bans Modena from holding religious services and removes its bishop, until 1156.

Rome. Pope Lucius II dies, perhaps from illness or wounds during the battles with the Roman Commune. He is succeeded by Eugene III of Pisa, who refuses to recognize the Commune of Rome and leaves the city, settling in the Abbey of Farfa in southern

The Holy Roman Empire extends from Rome to Marseille to Holland to Bohemia and Moravia

Theravada Buddhism spreads in Burma thanks to the conversion of the king by Sinhalese (Sri Lankan) monks.

Modena invades Nonantola, which has just allied itself with Bologna. The Pope interdicts Modena as punishment, and within two years peace is achieved.

War between Modena and Bologna, allied with Nonantola. War between Modena and Bulgaria, allied with Nunantla.

During the so-called “Anacletine Schism,” the Pierleoni, one of the two ruling families in Rome, nominated Pope Pietro Pierleoni, also known as Anacletus II, while the Frangipane, the other family, sided with the pontiff later recognized as legitimate, Innocent II. In this way, the Frangipane

Carpi governed by the Holy See

Modena free municipality

Creation of the military orders of St. John and the Templars with the task of defending the Latin states of the East

Epidemic of shingles (pestilentia ignearia), caused by ergot.

An Islamic treatise describes seven distinct recipes for preparing gunpowder, depending on its uses and the availability of raw materials. By 1280, as many as 70 different ones were known!

The national states of France, Germany, and Northern Italy are formed

Henry I the Lion king of England

Sigibert of Gembloux recounts a year of epidemics, especially in western Lotharingia. It was probably shingles, caused by ergot.

China. Su Song invents the world’s first mechanical clock, 12 meters tall, which also tracks the movements of the sun, moon, and planets.

Spain. Toledo is reclaimed by the Christians. It becomes a magnet for those thirsting for knowledge, first translators from Arabic, then Christian clerics. Arabic science arrives in Christendom. It is mostly Greek science, treasured in Eastern libraries and recirculated by Muslim scholars.

Birth of the Carthusian Order. Monasticism was able to reform itself in 1084, on the initiative of the German philosopher and theologian St. Bruno (Brunone) from Cologne, who, intolerant of the corrupt customs of the time and having become a tenacious defender of the moral

In many cities of central and northern Italy the Municipality is established.

The Norman prince Robert, known as Guiscard (the Cunning), dies. He was seventy years old.

King Harold’s body is found horribly mutilated after the battle

Battle of Hastings (south of London) between the English of Harold Godwinson (Harold II) and the Normans (French) of William the Conqueror called the Bastard; a fundamental role in the battle is played by the Norman cavalry

Chinese and Anasazi record supernova explosion in Taurus constellation

Matilda of Canossa governs Carpi

The average life expectancy in the Middle Ages was around 30 years. Endemic diseases included tuberculosis (“languor”), the dreaded leprosy, abscesses, gangrene, scabies, ulcers, tumors, cancers, eczema (St. Lawrence’s Fire), erysipelas (St. Silas’s Fire), shingles, epilepsy (St. John’s Disease), and St. Vitus’s Dance.

The Chinese mathematician Kia Xian discovered the method, later rediscovered and made famous by Pascal, for determining the number of ways in which a certain number of objects can be selected from a group composed of the same or a higher number, or the so-called