Editing Mantua (section)

===After the Fall of the Roman Empire===
After the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]] at the hands of [[Odoacer]] in 476&nbsp;AD, Mantua was, along with the rest of Italy, conquered by the [[Ostrogothic Kingdom|Ostrogoths]]. It was retaken by the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman Empire]] in the middle of the 6th century following the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic war]] but was subsequently lost again to the [[Kingdom of the Lombards|Lombards]]. They were in turn conquered by [[Charlemagne]] in 774, thus incorporating Mantua into the [[Frankish Empire]]. Partitions of the empire (due to the Franks' use of [[partible inheritance]]) in the [[Treaty of Verdun|Treaties of Verdun]] and [[Treaty of Prüm|Prüm]] led to Mantua passing to [[Middle Francia]] in 843, then the [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Kingdom of Italy]] in 855. In 962 Italy was invaded by King [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]] of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]], and Mantua thus became a vassal of the newly formed [[Holy Roman Empire]].

In the 11th century, Mantua became a possession of [[Boniface of Canossa]], [[Marquess|marquis]] of [[March of Tuscany|Tuscany]]. The last ruler of that family was the countess [[Matilda of Tuscany|Matilda of Canossa]] (d. 1115), who, according to legend, ordered the construction of the precious [[Rotonda di San Lorenzo]] (or St. Lawrence's Roundchurch) in 1082. The Rotonda still exists today and was renovated in 2013.

==== Free Imperial City of Mantua ====
After the death of Matilda of Canossa, Mantua became a [[Free Imperial City|free]] [[medieval commune|commune]] and strenuously defended itself from the influence of the Holy Roman Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1198, Alberto Pitentino altered the course of River Mincio, creating what the Mantuans call "the four lakes" to reinforce the city's natural protection. Three of these lakes still remain today and the fourth one, which ran through the centre of town, was reclaimed during the 18th century.

====Podesteria Rule====

[[File:Domenico morone, la cacciata dei bonacolsi da mantova, 1494.jpg|thumb|''Expulsion of the Bonacolsi in 1328, scene of Piazza Sordello'', canvas of [[Domenico Morone]]]]
From 1215, the city was ruled under the ''[[podestà|podesteria]]'' of the Guelph poet-statesman [[Rambertino Buvalelli]].

During the struggle between the Guelphs and the [[Ghibellines]], Pinamonte Bonacolsi took advantage of the chaotic situation to seize power of the podesteria in 1273. He was declared the ''Captain General of the People''. The [[Bonacolsi]] family ruled Mantua for the next two generations and made it more prosperous and artistically beautiful. On 16 August 1328 Luigi Gonzaga, an official in Bonacolsi's podesteria, and his family staged a public revolt in Mantua and forced a [[coup d'état]] on the last Bonacolsi ruler, Rinaldo.