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Why did Pope Alexander III support the Lombard League?

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Medieval manuscript miniature showing Frederick I as a crowned crusader holding an orb and scepter, with Henry of Schaftlarn kneeling and presenting a book to him. — Frederick I Frederick I as a Crusader with (right) Henry of Schäftlarn dedicating to him a copy of the *History of the First Crusade* by Robert of St. Remy; miniature from a manuscript in the Vatican Library.

Pope Alexander III supported the Lombard League primarily because he viewed the league as a vital ally in his ongoing conflict with Frederick I Barbarossa.12

Alexander III sought to establish a papacy that remained independent of imperial control. As Frederick I attempted to assert his authority over northern Italy and challenged the Pope’s legitimacy by supporting antipopes, Alexander found common cause with the northern Italian communes. These cities were deeply concerned with protecting their own independence and communal liberties from the Emperor’s jurisdiction.312

By aligning with the Lombard League, Alexander III gained the necessary support to resist imperial pressure and defend what he regarded as the legitimate authority of the church. This strategic partnership proved essential, as the league’s military resistance—most notably at the Battle of Legnano—eventually forced Frederick to acknowledge Alexander as the true pope in the Peace of Venice.213