city state · Italy
Commune of Novara
Origins
Novara, an old Roman town on the road from Milan to Turin, had a commune governed by consuls by 1116, gradually taking power from its bishops and the counts of Biandrate.
Rule and society
The commune was governed by consuls and later a podestà. It joined the Lombard League against Frederick Barbarossa, but its position between Milan and Vercelli made it a frequent battleground. Grain farming in its countryside and traffic on the road to the western Alps supported the town. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Tornielli and Brusati families led rival factions.
Decline and legacy
In 1332 Novara submitted to Azzone Visconti and became part of the Lordship of Milan. It remained Milanese until passing to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1738.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Commune of Novara was part of Lombard League1167 CE – 1250 CE
- Commune of Novara was conquered by Lordship of Milan1332 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Novara. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-novara
- MLA
- “Commune of Novara.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-novara. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Novara.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-novara.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Novara’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-novara (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻