Editing Alfonso X of Castile (section)

====Imperial election====
In 1256, on the death of [[William II of Holland]], Alfonso's descent from the Hohenstaufen through his mother, a daughter of Philip of Swabia, gave him a claim to the German crown through the [[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]] line. Alfonso's election as [[German king]] by the [[prince-elector]]s encouraged him to enter into complicated schemes that involved excessive expenses but never to success.  Alfonso never travelled to Germany, and his alliance with the Italian [[Ghibelline]] Lord [[Ezzelino IV da Romano]] deprived him of the support of [[Pope Alexander IV]]. His rival, [[Richard of Cornwall]], went to Germany and was crowned in 1257 at [[Aachen]].

To obtain money, Alfonso debased the coinage and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary [[tariff]]. The little trade that took place in his dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him in 1272. Reconciliation with the nobles was brought about by Alfonso's son Ferdinand in 1273.

After Richard of Cornwell's death, the German princes elected [[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolph of Habsburg]] (1273), Alfonso being declared deposed by [[Pope Gregory X]]. In 1275 Alfonso tried to meet with his imperial vicar in Italy, [[William VII of Montferrat]] (who had succeeded Ezzelino), and his Ghibelline allies in [[Piedmont]] and [[Lombardy]] to celebrate the victory against the Guelph [[Charles I of Anjou]] and be crowned in Lombardy.  However, he was halted in his imperial ambitions in Provence by the Pope who, after a long negotiation, obtained Alfonso's oral renunciation of any claims to the Holy Roman Empire.