Barbarossa

A wild boar attack nearly kills a boy named Alberto Giussano. The Emperor Frederick Hohenstaufen—Barbarossa—saves him and earns his lifelong loyalty. In gratitude, Barbarossa gives Alberto an imperial dagger inscribed with his name.

In Würzburg, the seer Hildegard von Bingen foretells that Barbarossa’s name will be remembered for centuries. She warns him that a scythe will bring defeat and water will bring death. The warning lingers as power and danger intertwine.

In Milan, Evandro urges Alberto to help load goods onto a boat before dawn. Lodigiani soldiers demand payment for crossing, and Alberto's group slays them in self-defense, though Alberto is wounded in the fighting. Two sisters, Tessa and Eleonora, watch the aftermath, and Eleonora kisses Alberto as he lies unconscious.

emissaries from Lodi request Imperial aid against Milan, and Barbarossa contemplates a diplomatic route rather than immediate war. In Milan, cleric Gerado tramples the Emperor's letter, shocking Siniscalco Barozzi and setting a chain of defiant actions in motion. Barozzi pledges to raise an army against Milan.

Barbarossa grows impatient with Milan’s defiance, though he still leans toward negotiation. His new wife counsels a harsher approach, and eventually the Emperor agrees to move his forces toward Milan. The prospect of battle begins to loom over Lombardy.

Near Verona, a bridge across the Adige is built for Barbarossa’s troops. German siege engines push log ramps into the river, destroying the bridge and isolating the city’s defenders. Verona’s emissaries are punished when Barbarossa cuts off the ear of one envoy.

Cities like Parma, Cremona, Padua, and Ferrara join the German effort as Milan braces for the siege. The German advance tightens as Ranero, Alberto’s brother, is slain by Barozzi’s crossbow while volunteers are sent to fetch food, fueling Alberto’s vow of vengeance.

That night, Alberto slips into Barbarossa’s camp and confronts Barozzi, who confirms his treachery. Alberto is captured along with other prisoners as German forces overrun the city. The Emperor burns Milan’s flag and declares Milan will be razed, sealing a grim fate for the city.

In Rome, Barbarossa and his wife are crowned Emperor and Empress. A plague sweeps the capital, undermining morale and prompting a chaotic retreat as disease and fear overtake the city. The imperial banner begins to fray as the cycle of war continues.

Milan’s resistance galvanizes Lombard towns, who meet at Pontida Monastery to discuss unity. Alberto and his allies declare they will unite the Lombard cities to oppose Barbarossa’s forces. This gathering seeds the renewed Lombard League.

Barozzi abducts Tessa from the nunnery, threatening forced marriage. To avoid this fate, Tessa leaps from a ledge and dies. Eleonora confronts the trauma and vows to resist Barozzi, deepening her commitment to fight for their people.

Eleonora is captured by Barozzi and taken to the German camp at Alessandria, where a burning at the stake looms over her fate. Rumors of witchcraft swirl around her, while Empress fears the execution. A tunnel under the fort is discovered, forcing Barbarossa to pull back toward Pavia.

At the Mera River, Barbarossa asks Henry the Lion for troops to bolster his army. Henry declines, offering a chest of coins instead as payment for mercenaries. Barbarossa dismisses Henry as useless and continues to seek other sources of soldiers.

The Lombards confront the Germans at Legnano, leveraging surprise and their own endurance against the invaders’ siege tactics. Barozzi kills Lorenzo and makes a last stand against Alberto, who reverses the assault and drives a stiletto into Barozzi’s throat. The Lombards emerge victorious, and Eleonora is found alive, having been spared by the Empress.

Three days after Legnano, Barbarossa reappears at Pavia, his movements shrouded in mystery. Fourteen years later he heads for the Crusades and dies in Anatolia after a snake bite. Alberto and Eleonora live together, the Company of Death disbands, and Lombardy secures its freedom under the Lombard League.