city state · Italy

Commune of Lodi

1158 CE – 1335 CE (approx.) · capital Lodi

A Lombard city-republic refounded on a new site by Frederick Barbarossa in 1158 after Milan had destroyed the old town.

Origins

Milan destroyed the old town of Lodi in 1111 and again in 1158. That year Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, whom the Lodigiani had appealed to, refounded the city on a new site on the Adda, a few miles from the old one, now Lodi Vecchio. The new commune grew under imperial protection.

Rule and society

The commune was governed by consuls and later a podestà. Although founded as an imperial ally, Lodi joined the Lombard League in 1167. The cathedral was begun in the year of its refoundation. The town lived from farming and river trade, but was always overshadowed by Milan. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Fissiraga and Vistarini families competed for control.

Decline and legacy

In 1335 Lodi submitted to Azzone Visconti and became part of the Lordship of Milan. The Peace of Lodi of 1454 between Milan and Venice was later signed there.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Lodi. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-lodi
MLA
“Commune of Lodi.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-lodi. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Lodi.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-lodi.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Lodi’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-lodi (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻