Hebrew-English Guide to Soncino

17 THE HISTORY OF SONCINO EZZELINO III FROM ROMANO Lord of the Marca Trevigiana, he was a politician and a Ghibelline leader, allied with Frederick II of Swabia. The Ezzelini or Da Romano family came to Italy from Germany between the X and XI centuries. Ezzelino III extended his dominion over Trento, Belluno, Vicenza, Verona, Bassano, Padua and Brescia, creating a sort of lordship. Em- peror Frederick II of Swabia named him Imperial Vicar in Lombardy. Accused of brutality and heresy, in 1254 he was excommunicated by pope Alexander IV. In March 1256 Azzo VII d’Este, podestà of Ferra- ra for life, received from Philip, archbishop of Ravenna, the task of leading a “crusade “against Ezzelino. The soldiers of Venice, Bologna, Mantua, the Count of Saint Bonifa- cio and many other lords participated in the “crusade”. For two years, therefore, a war of ambushes and bloody mixtures dragged on, du- ring which Ezzelino III succeeded in seizing Brescia in 1258. The friendships and alliances on which Ezzelino III da Romano had counted, gradually faded. Ghibellines and Guelphs were thus united. On 11th June 1259 Ezzelino passed the rivers Oglio and Adda with a strong army, to try to seize Monza and Trezzo. The Milanese people, in turn, responded by arming themselves and facing him.