city state · Italy

Commune of Piacenza

1126 CE – 1336 CE (approx.) · capital Piacenza

A Po crossing city-republic whose merchants and bankers traded across Europe and whose Gothic town hall still dominates its main square.

Origins

Piacenza, an old Roman colony where the Via Emilia meets the Po, had consuls by 1126. Its citizens took over the bishop's powers and controlled the river crossings and the road to Genoa.

Rule and society

Governed by consuls and later a podestà, Piacenza joined the Lombard League, and the preliminary talks for the Peace of Constance were held there in 1183. Its merchants and money-changers were active at the Champagne fairs and in papal finance. The Palazzo Gotico, the town hall, was begun in 1281. Ghibelline lords such as Uberto Pallavicino and later Alberto Scotti held power in the 13th century.

Decline and legacy

Rival families repeatedly invited outside lords, and in 1336 Azzone Visconti took the city into the Lordship of Milan. Piacenza later became part of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza.

Connections (2)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻