city state · Italy
Commune of Reggio
Origins
Reggio, on the Via Emilia, had consuls by 1136, after the citizens took power from the bishop and from the lords of the Canossa lands. The commune extended its control into the Apennine foothills.
Rule and society
The commune was governed by consuls, then a podestà and popular councils, and joined the Lombard League against Frederick Barbarossa. Its position between larger neighbours made it a pawn: the Este held it from 1289 to 1306, and in the 14th century it passed among various lords, including the Gonzaga under Feltrino Gonzaga and then the Visconti. Factions of the Fogliani, Roberti and Canossa families divided the city.
Decline and legacy
In 1409 Niccolò III d'Este acquired Reggio, which then remained an Este possession and part of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio until 1859. In 1797 it hosted the congress of the Cispadane Republic.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Commune of Reggio was part of Lombard League1167 CE – 1250 CE
- Commune of Reggio was conquered by Duchy of Ferrara1409 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Reggio. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-reggio
- MLA
- “Commune of Reggio.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-reggio. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Reggio.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-reggio.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Reggio’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-reggio (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻