The Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire is first and foremost a relatively loose association of the German tribal duchies with Northern Italy and at times Burgundy. In its final phase, the Holy Roman Empire is a conglomerate of largely independent territorial states that have existed for nearly eight and a half centuries. The Holy Roman Empire played a decisive role in European power and church politics during the first three centuries of its existence until the collapse of imperial rule in imperial Italy in the course of the interregnum in the second half of the 13th century.

A feature of this epoch was the far-reaching conflicts between popes (especially Gregory VII) and emperors (especially Henry IV) over supremacy in the church and ultimately over the relationship between secular and spiritual power.