Until the 13th century, Italian politics was dominated by the relations between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Papacy, with most of the Italian city-states siding with the former (Ghibellines) or with the latter (Guelphs) from momentary convenience.
Sampai abad ke-13, politik Italia didominasi oleh hubungan antara para Kaisar Romawi Suci Jerman dan para paus dengan sebagian besar kota-kota di Italia berpihak kepada yang terdahulu (Ghibellini) atau kepada (Guelfi) demi kenyamanan sesaat.