Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Canossa

Merseburg was first mentioned in 850. King König Heinrich I. (Henry the Fowler) built a royal palace at Merseburg after having married the daughter of Count Erwin of Merseburg, so that the place came under the rule of the Saxon dynasty. In 955, after finally defeating the Hungarians at the Battle of Lechfeld, King Otto I vowed to found a diocese. Otto I founded the archbishopric of Magdeburg in 968 with the suffragan bishopric Merseburg, but the diocese was dissolved in 981 and only re-established in 1004 by King Heinrich II. Until the Protestant Reformation, Merseburg was the seat of the Bishop of Merseburg, in addition to being for a time the residence of the margraves of Meissen. It was a favorite residence of the German kings during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Fifteen diets were held here during the Middle Ages, during which time its fairs enjoyed the importance which was afterward transferred to those of Leipzig. In the years 1218/19, the area on the left bank of the Saale was protected by a city wall that adjoined the already fortified "Domfreiheit". Civil self-government of the city was first mentioned in 1289. - Rudolf von Rheinfelden´s oath hand, which was cut off during the Battle of Hohenmölsen, is on display in the neighboring museum. Rudolf von Rheinfelden (1025 – 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially, he was a supporter of his brother-in-law, the Salian Emperor Hinrich IV. In 1076, after Pope Gregory VII had pronounced the ban on Heinrich IV, Rudolf decided to proceed openly against him. At a princely assembly in Trebur in October 1076, the South German dukes tried to obtain a new election. Henry IV. who was also stationed in Oppenheim on the other side of the Rhine at the same time, was forced to make a compromise. Altogether a large anti-Salian party had emerged, which gave Henry a year to free himself from the ban if he wished to remain king. The matter of kingship was then to be discussed at a princely conference in Augsburg in February 1077 in the presence of the pope. A month before the deadline, Heinrich set out on the journey across the Alps to meet the Pope, who was on the way to Augsburg. Gregor feared a military conflict with Heinrich and sought refuge in the castle of Canossa with Margravine Mathilde von Tuszien. Heinrich, however, only wished to be freed from the ban. Henry IV is said to have stayed in front of the castle gate for three days, dressed in a penitent's robe. But Gregory hesitated and only accepted him back into the church after three days of penance. However, the release of the ban did not prevent the German princes from electing Rudolf von Rheinfelden as German king in March 1077. The course of the election corresponded to the usual procedure, apart from the fact that this represented the first election of an anti-king in Roman German history. Rudolf agreed to two demands. He approved the free canonical election of bishops without royal interference, and he committed himself to recognize the right to free choice of the king for every succession to the throne. Rudolf was ordained king in March 1077 by the local Archbishop Siegfried I. The election of Rudolf evoked very different responses. The pope remained neutral for the time being and sided neither with Heinrich nor with Rudolf. As a result, Rudolf's position remained weak and he was unable to secure a larger power base in the empire either. He lacked the followers he needed to build up his fledgling kingdom. Only in Saxony did he find broad support. The followers of Henry IV accused Rudolf of a lack of gratitude and loyalty. An important battle took place on January 27, 1080, in Flachheim, Thuringia. After Heinrich had assembled his army from Bavaria, Bohemia, Franconia, Swabia, and Burgundy, he marched towards Saxony with it. On the way he particularly devastated the areas of Archbishop Siegfried I of Mainz, who then banned him and his followers. Rudolf managed to raise a sizeable army. Nevertheless, the battle seemed already lost for Rudolf when his ally Otto von Northeim managed to turn the fight and still emerge victorious. In March 1080, Pope Gregory VII gave up his wait-and-see attitude and declared Rudolf the rightful king. Henry was again excommunicated and deposed. However, at this time Rudolf could no longer derive any benefit from it. The royal side registered with satisfaction that Rudolf's sphere of power was largely limited to Saxony. In large numbers, the princes and the people sided with the king. Heinrich now launched a counterattack against the pope. He declared the pope deposed and with the participation of a total of 30 bishops from Italy, Germany, and Burgundy, a decree of dismissal was finally drawn up and Wibert of Ravenna was ceremoniously proclaimed (anti-)Pope Clemens III on June 25, 1080. After numerous battles, the decision came on October 15, 1080, in the Battle of Hohenmölsen. This battle had no clear winner. Heinrich himself had to flee but it was worse for Rudolf, who was mortally wounded. A knight of Heinrich stabbed him in the abdomen with his sword and cut off his right hand. From Heinrich's side, death with the simultaneous loss of the hand of the oath was interpreted as a visible sign of divine punishment for the person who broke the oath Rudolf died a day later and was laid out and buried here.

Merseburg was first mentioned in 850. King König Heinrich I. (Henry the Fowler) built a royal palace at Merseburg after having married the daughter of Count Erwin of Merseburg, so that the place came under the rule of the Saxon dynasty. In 955, after finally defeating the Hungarians at the Battle of Lechfeld, King Otto I vowed to found a diocese. Otto I founded the archbishopric of Magdeburg in 968 with the suffragan bishopric Merseburg, but the diocese was dissolved in 981 and only re-established in 1004 by King Heinrich II. Until the Protestant Reformation, Merseburg was the seat of the Bishop of Merseburg, in addition to being for a time the residence of the margraves of Meissen. It was a favorite residence of the German kings during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Fifteen diets were held here during the Middle Ages, during which time its fairs enjoyed the importance which was afterward transferred to those of Leipzig. In the years 1218/19, the area on the left bank of the Saale was protected by a city wall that adjoined the already fortified "Domfreiheit". Civil self-government of the city was first mentioned in 1289. The bonze graveslab of Rudolf von Rheinfelden Rudolf von Rheinfelden (1025 – 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially, he was a supporter of his brother-in-law, the Salian Emperor Hinrich IV. In 1076, after Pope Gregory VII had pronounced the ban on Heinrich IV, Rudolf decided to proceed openly against him. At a princely assembly in Trebur in October 1076, the South German dukes tried to obtain a new election. Henry IV. who was also stationed in Oppenheim on the other side of the Rhine at the same time, was forced to make a compromise. Altogether a large anti-Salian party had emerged, which gave Henry a year to free himself from the ban if he wished to remain king. The matter of kingship was then to be discussed at a princely conference in Augsburg in February 1077 in the presence of the pope. A month before the deadline, Heinrich set out on the journey across the Alps to meet the Pope, who was on the way to Augsburg. Gregor feared a military conflict with Heinrich and sought refuge in the castle of Canossa with Margravine Mathilde von Tuszien. Heinrich, however, only wished to be freed from the ban. Henry IV is said to have stayed in front of the castle gate for three days, dressed in a penitent's robe. But Gregory hesitated and only accepted him back into the church after three days of penance. However, the release of the ban did not prevent the German princes from electing Rudolf von Rheinfelden as German king in March 1077. The course of the election corresponded to the usual procedure, apart from the fact that this represented the first election of an anti-king in Roman German history. Rudolf agreed to two demands. He approved the free canonical election of bishops without royal interference, and he committed himself to recognize the right to free choice of the king for every succession to the throne. Rudolf was ordained king in March 1077 by the local Archbishop Siegfried I. The election of Rudolf evoked very different responses. The pope remained neutral for the time being and sided neither with Heinrich nor with Rudolf. As a result, Rudolf's position remained weak and he was unable to secure a larger power base in the empire either. He lacked the followers he needed to build up his fledgling kingdom. Only in Saxony did he find broad support. The followers of Henry IV accused Rudolf of a lack of gratitude and loyalty. An important battle took place on January 27, 1080, in Flachheim, Thuringia. After Heinrich had assembled his army from Bavaria, Bohemia, Franconia, Swabia, and Burgundy, he marched towards Saxony with it. On the way he particularly devastated the areas of Archbishop Siegfried I of Mainz, who then banned him and his followers. Rudolf managed to raise a sizeable army. Nevertheless, the battle seemed already lost for Rudolf when his ally Otto von Northeim managed to turn the fight and still emerge victorious. In March 1080, Pope Gregory VII gave up his wait-and-see attitude and declared Rudolf the rightful king. Henry was again excommunicated and deposed. However, at this time Rudolf could no longer derive any benefit from it. The royal side registered with satisfaction that Rudolf's sphere of power was largely limited to Saxony. In large numbers, the princes and the people sided with the king. Heinrich now launched a counterattack against the pope. He declared the pope deposed and with the participation of a total of 30 bishops from Italy, Germany, and Burgundy, a decree of dismissal was finally drawn up and Wibert of Ravenna was ceremoniously proclaimed (anti-)Pope Clemens III on June 25, 1080. After numerous battles, the decision came on October 15, 1080, in the Battle of Hohenmölsen. This battle had no clear winner. Heinrich himself had to flee but it was worse for Rudolf, who was mortally wounded. A knight of Heinrich stabbed him in the abdomen with his sword and cut off his right hand. From Heinrich's side, death with the simultaneous loss of the hand of the oath was interpreted as a visible sign of divine punishment for the person who broke the oath Rudolf died a day later and was laid out and buried here.

Speyer gained importance, when the Salian dynasty entered the political stage with Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II. He commissioned the construction of of this church, known as the "Imperial Cathedral of Speyer". It was planned to be the largest cathedral worldwide. A display of the Emperor´s power, that was - before the "Investiture Controversy" - secular and ecclesiastical. This "blueprint" from about 1025/1030 got changed later and the even enlarged cathedral was completed in 1106, the year Conrad´s grandson Emperor Henry IV died. In medieval times the burial places was at the eastern end of the central nave, just in front of the choir. Early 20th century, during renovations all tombs in the nave were opened by archeologists. Later this area in the crypt was created. Here are the tombs of eight German kings and emperors. Here are to be seen (front to back) are the tombs of: Adolf of Nassau, King of Germany, + 1298 Albert I, King of Germany, son of Rudolph I, + 1308 Rudolph I, King of Germany (aka "Rudolph of Habsburg"), + 1291 Beatrice I, Queen of Burgundy, wife of Frederick I, + 1184 Philip of Swabia, King of Germany, son of Frederick I (aka "Barbarossa"), + 1208 Only a few tombs are visble to the left. There are the the tombs of: Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Henry III, + 1106 He did the "Walk to Canossa") Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor (aka "Henry the Pious"), son of Conrad II, + 1056 Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, the first king of the Salian dynasty. He comissioned this cathedral around 1025. + 1039 Gisela of Swabia, Empress, wife of Conrad II, mother of Henry III, + 1043 Bertha of Savoy, Empress, wife of Henry IV. She accompanied her husband on the "Walk to Canossa". Mother of Conrad III and Henry V. + 1087

This is, where in 1077 the "Road to Canossa" (aka "Walk to Canossa") ended. Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa") had invited Pope Gregory VII to take refuge here in 1076/77 during the dispute with Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor. Gregory had imposed an excommunication on Henry during the Investiture Controversy. Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV then treked from Speyer over the Alps (in January!) to Canossa to obtain the revocation of the excommunication. Henry had taken on the behavior of penitence. He wore a hair-shirt and allegedly walked barefoot. On 25 January 1077, he reached the locked gates of the Castello di Canossa. Pope Gregory VII had ordered to refuse entrance, and so Henry was forced to wait on his knees for three days and three nights before the gate of the castle, while a blizzard raged. Pope Gregory VII finally let Henry in and absolved him. On 28 January Gregory VII, Henry IV and Matilda of Tuscany, who was Gregory´s policy adviser, shared communion in the castle´s chapel, signaling the official end of Henry's excommunication. This did not end the Investiture Controversy. The struggle ended with an agreement ("Concordat of Worms") between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, signed in 1122.

Already Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, may have funded a church, erected over the tomb of Saint Zeno, who, following the legends, was born in Mauretania and died around 380 in Verona. The erection of the present church began in the 9th century. Soon after San Zeno´s relics were translated into the new church. At that time Charlemagne´s son Pepin (aka "Pepin of Italy") resided in Verona and a large Benedictine monastery grew all around the church. When the Magyars invaded Italy in the early 10th century, the church got severely damaged, but the relics were not harmed, as they had been taken out and were hidden. In 967, a new church was built with the patronage of Otto I. On January 3, 1117, the church was damaged by an earthquake, that ruined so many buildings in Northern Italy. The church was restored and got enlarged in 1138. The façade is striking! It was created in two different stages. The portico and the portal were carved before 1138 by Niccolò (see "Duomo de Verona") and his school. During the second half of the 12th century Master Guglielmo ("Gugliemus") completed the facade. There are four reliefs that are very uncommon and probably connect to Theodoric the Great (+526). As he was Arian Christ (not accepting the papal power), this may have some political background. The Investiture Controversy was still not settled, though Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor had "visited" Pope Gregory VII in Canossa some decades before. Here is a hunter on horseback following a deer, who runs into the hell´s gate, where a devil is already waiting. Following the literature, the inscription reads: O REGEM STULTUM PETIT INFERNALE TRIBUTUM MOXQUE PARATUR EQUUS QUEM MISIT DEMON INIQUUS EXIT AQUAM NUDUS PETIT INFERA NON REDITURUS.. (Oh stupid king running to the hellish tribute. A horse is ready, sent by the evil devil. Naked he steps out of the water approaches the hell with no return...) This scene is connected to the Thidrekssaga and the Hildebrandslied...