The commune of Forli had wrested control…
1241 CE
The commune of Forli had wrested control from its bishops by the ninth century, and Forlì had been established as an independent Italian city-state, alongside the other communes that signal the first revival of urban life in Italy, Forlì becoming a republic for the first time in 889.
The city is allied with the Ghibelline factions in the medieval struggles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, partly as a means of preserving its independence—and the city supports all the Holy Roman Emperors in their campaigns in Italy.
Local competition is involved in the loyalties: in 1241, during Frederick II's struggles with Pope Gregory IX the people of Forlì offer their support to Frederick II during the capture of the rival city, Faenza, and in gratitude, they are granted an augmentation of the communal coat-of-arms with the Hohenstaufen eagle.