Ghibelline
1
9.9
Supporting the Holy Roman Emperor against the Pope's party in medieval Italy
- adjective
- /ˈɡɪbəlɪn/
- Archaic
:
gibelino
- With the Reformation broils to think about, the princes of the church had no pressing reason to study the Guelfs and Ghibellines; only the most foresightful could anticipate that a new and more powerful wave of Ghibelline politics was gathering to break over the ecclesia.
Examples
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In medieval Italy, the Ghibelline supporters often clashed with their rivals, the Guelfs, over political control.
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The Ghibelline faction supported the Holy Roman Emperor during the medieval conflicts in Italy.
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The architecture of the castle featured distinctive Ghibelline battlements, showcasing its historical ties to the faction.
Surface Forms
Ghibelline positive
Etymology
Ghibelline comes from the Italian Ghibellino, a name Italians used for followers of a German house from a castle called Waiblingen; they backed the emperor, so Ghibelline came to mean 'pro-emperor' or someone who supports the emperor.