republic · Italy
Commune of Rome
Origins
In 1143–1144 the citizens of Rome rebelled against Pope Innocent II and his aristocratic allies, revived the Senate on the Capitoline Hill and dated their documents from the 'renewal of the Senate'. Giordano Pierleoni was named patrician.
Rule and society
The commune was governed by an elected Senate of up to 56 members, drawing on memories of ancient Rome. From 1145 the reformer Arnold of Brescia preached against papal temporal power and supported the republic. It struggled against the popes and the Papal States, and was opposed by Frederick Barbarossa, who handed Arnold over for execution in 1155. Rome also fought neighbouring towns such as Tivoli.
Decline and legacy
In 1188 a pact with Pope Clement III recognised the Senate in return for papal sovereignty. Around 1193 Benedetto Carushomo replaced the many senators with a single senator, and the commune's independent phase ended, though the Roman Senate continued as a city office under the popes.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- County of Tusculum was conquered by Commune of Rome1191 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Rome. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-rome
- MLA
- “Commune of Rome.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-rome. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Rome.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-rome.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Rome’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-rome (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻