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What happened at the Battle of Cortenuova in 1237?
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Frederick II
Frederick II, bust, c. 13th century; in the collection of the Museo Provinciale Campano, Capua, Italy.
At the Battle of Cortenuova on November 27, 1237, Frederick II dealt a heavy military blow to the Lombard League.1
Following this victory, Frederick launched a significant propaganda campaign directed primarily against Pope Gregory IX. However, the success at Cortenuova proved difficult to translate into permanent political gains. Frederick misjudged his position by rejecting all peace overtures from Milan and demanding an unconditional surrender, a decision that blocked potential peaceful settlements and is considered a moment of grave historic importance. Consequently, Milan continued to resist, and Frederick’s subsequent attempt to besiege Brescia the following summer ended in failure.12