Editing Matilda of Tuscany (section)

=== Matilda's role during the Investiture Controversy ===
==== State of Matilda's domains after her accession to power ====
After the death of her mother, Matilda took over her immense paternal inheritance. This was contrary to the provisions of the [[Salic law|Salic]] and Lombard law currently in force in the Kingdom of Italy, according to which Emperor Henry IV would have been the legal heir.{{sfn|Spike|2014|p=12}} In view of the minority of Henry IV and close cooperation with the reform papacy, a lending under imperial law was of secondary importance for the House of Canossa

Between 1076 and 1080, Matilda travelled to Lorraine to lay claim to her husband's estate in [[Verdun]], which he had willed (along with the rest of his patrimony) to his nephew [[Godfrey of Bouillon]], the son of his sister [[Ida of Lorraine|Ida]].{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=67}} Godfrey of Bouillon also disputed Matilda's rights to [[Stenay]] and Mosay, which her mother had received as [[dowry]]. The quarrel between aunt and nephew over the episcopal county of Verdun was eventually settled by [[Theoderic (bishop of Verdun)|Theoderic]], [[Bishop of Verdun]], who enjoyed the right to nominate the counts. He easily found in favor of Matilda, as such verdict happened to please both Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV. Matilda then proceeded to [[Feoffment|invest]] Verdun to her husband's pro-reform cousin, [[Albert III, Count of Namur|Albert III of Namur]].{{sfn|Healey|2013|p=55–56}} The deep animosity between Matilda and her nephew is thought to have prevented her from travelling to [[Jerusalem]] during the [[First Crusade]] that he led in the late 1090s.{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=164}}

==== Efforts to achieve a balance between king and pope ====
{{main|Walk to Canossa}}
[[File:Mathilde von Canossa auf Thron.jpg|thumb|right|Miniature of Matilda from the frontispiece of [[Donizo]]'s ''Vita Mathildis'' ([[Vatican Library]], Codex Vat. Lat. 4922, fol. 7v). Matilda is depicted seated on a throne. On her right, Donizo is presenting a copy of the ''Vita Mathildis'' to her, on her left is a man with a sword (possibly her man-at-arms). The script underneath reads: ''Mathildis lucens, precor hoc cape cara volumen'' (Resplendent Matilda, please accept this book, oh you dear one)]]
[[File:Resti del castello di Canossa, Italia.JPG|thumb|right|Ruins of the [[Canossa Castle]]]]
[[File:Gregor VII..jpg|thumb|right|Pope Gregory VII is depicted at the beginning of the ''Vita Gregorii VII'' of Pauls von Bernried in the manuscript Heiligenkreuz, ''Stiftsbibliothek'', Cod. 12, fol. 181v]]
Matilda was a [[Cousin|second cousin]] of Henry IV through their respective grandmothers, sisters [[Matilda of Swabia]] and [[Gisela of Swabia|Empress Gisela]]. Because of her family ties to the [[Salian dynasty]], she was suitable for a mediator role between the Emperor and the Holy See.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=41}} Matilda's mother died at the time when the conflict between King Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII was escalating. Matilda and Beatrice were among the closest confidants of Gregory VII. From the beginning, he took both into his confidence and let them know about his plans against the Roman-German king.{{sfn|Spike|2014|p=12}}{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=42}}

The disagreement between Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV culminated in the aftermath of the synod of Worms on 24 January 1076; together with the Archbishops [[Siegfried I (archbishop of Mainz)|Siegfried of Mainz]] and [[Udo (archbishop of Trier)|Udo of Trier]] and 24 bishops, the king formulated drastic accusations against Gregory VII. The allegations included Gregory VII's election (which was described as illegitimate), the government of the Church through a "women's senate", and that "he shared a table with a strange woman and housed her, more familiar than necessary." The contempt expressed was so immense that Matilda was not even called by name.{{sfn|Golinelli|2016|p=1}}<ref>See the letter of rejection of the German bishops from January 1076 ([[Monumenta Germaniae Historica|MGH]] Const. 1, p. 106, N° 58 — ''Die Briefe Heinrichs IV''. (in German), Carl Erdmann (ed.) Leipzig 1937, Appendix A, p. 68.</ref> The pope responded on 15 February 1076 with the [[excommunication]] of the king, releasing all his subjects from the oath of allegiance to him and providing the perfect reason for rebellion against his rule.{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=65}} These measures had a tremendous effect on contemporaries, as the words of the chronicler [[Bonizo of Sutri]] show: "When the news of the banishment of the king reached the ears of the people, our whole world trembled".<ref>Bonizo, ''Liber ad amicum'', Book 8, 609.</ref><ref>Johannes Laudage, ''Am Vorabend von Canossa – die Eskalation eines Konflikts''. (in German) in: Christoph Stiegemann, Matthias Wemhoff (ed.), Canossa 1077. Erschütterung der Welt. Munich 2006, p. 74.</ref>

Insubordinate southern German princes gathered in [[Trebur]], awaiting the pope. Matilda's first military endeavor, as well as the first major task altogether as ruler, turned out to be protecting the pope during his perilous journey north. Gregory VII could rely on nobody else. As the sole heiress to the House of Canossa patrimony, Matilda controlled all the Apennine [[mountain pass|passes]] and nearly all the rest that connected [[central Italy]] to the [[northern Italy|north]]. The Lombard bishops, who were also excommunicated for taking part in the synod and whose sees bordered Matilda's domain, were keen to capture the pope. Gregory VII was aware of the danger, and recorded that all his advisors except Matilda counselled him against travelling to Trebur.{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=68}}

Henry IV had other plans, however. He decided to descend into Italy and intercept Gregory VII, who was thus delayed. The German princes held a separate council and informed the king that he had to submit to the pope within a year or be replaced. Henry IV's predecessors had dealt easily with troublesome pontiffs — they had simply deposed them, and the excommunicated Lombard bishops rejoiced at this prospect. When Matilda heard about Henry IV's approach, she urged Gregory VII to take refuge in the [[Canossa Castle]], her family's eponymous stronghold. The pope took her advice.

It soon became clear that the intention behind Henry's [[walk to Canossa]] was to show [[penance]]. By 25 January 1077, the king stood barefoot in the snow before the gates of Matilda's castle, accompanied by his wife [[Bertha of Savoy]], their infant son [[Conrad II of Italy|Conrad]], and Bertha's mother, the powerful Margravine [[Adelaide of Susa]] (Matilda's second cousin; Adelaide's grandmother was [[Prangarda of Canossa|Prangarda]], sister of [[Tedald of Canossa]], Matilda's paternal grandfather). Since Matilda's castle became the setting for the reconciliation between the emperor and the pope, she must have been very closely involved in the negotiations. The king remained there, in a penitent's robe, barefoot, and without a sign of authority, despite the winter cold, until 28 January, when Matilda convinced the pope to see him. Matilda and Adelaide brokered a deal between the men.<ref name="Creber">{{cite web|author=Alison Creber|url=https://storicamente.org/sites/default/images/articles/media/2001/creber-women-canossa.pdf|title=Women at Canossa. The role of royal and aristocratic women in the reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany|date=23 January 2018|access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref>

Henry IV was taken back into the Church, with both Matilda and Adelaide acting as sponsors and formally swearing to the agreement.{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=70}} For Matilda, the days in Canossa were a challenge. All those arriving had to be accommodated and looked after appropriately. She had to take care of the procurement and storage of food and fodder, and the supplies in the middle of winter. After the ban was dissolved, Henry IV stayed in the [[Po Valley]] for several months and demonstratively devoted himself to his rulership. Pope Gregory VII stayed in Matilda's castles for the next few months. Henry IV and Matilda never met again in person after the Canossa days.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=45}} From 1077 to 1080 Matilda followed the usual activities of her rule. In addition to a few donations for the dioceses of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lucca|Lucca]] and [[Mantua]], court documents were in dominance.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=113}}

==== Disputes with Henry IV ====
{{main|Investiture Controversy}}
In 1079, Matilda gave the pope all her domains (the so-called ''[[Terre Matildiche]]''), in open defiance of claims by Henry IV as both the overlord of some of those domains and as one of her close relatives. One year later, the fortunes of papacy and empire turned again: at the Roman synod of Lent in early March 1080 Henry IV was again excommunicated by Gregory VII. The pope combined the anathem with a warning: if the king didn't submit to the papal authority by 1 August he should be dethroned. However, unlike previously, the German bishops and princes stood behind Henry IV. In [[Brixen]] on 25 June 1080, seven German, one Burgundian, and 20 Italian bishops decided to depose Gregory VII and nominated Archbishop Guibert of Ravenna as pope, who took the name of [[Antipope Clement III|Clement III]]. The break between the empire and the papacy also escalated the troubled relationship between Henry IV and Matilda. In September 1080, the Margravine stood on behalf of Bishop Gratianus of Ferrara to court. Marquis Azzo d'Este, Counts Ugo and Ubert, Albert (son of Count Boso), Paganus di Corsina, Fulcus de Rovereto, Gerardo di Corviago, Petrus de Ermengarda, and Ugo Armatus all met there. Matilda swore there to maintain the upcoming fight against Henry IV. On 15 October 1080 at [[Volta Mantovana]], the imperial troops defeated the army of Matilda and Gregory VII in [[Battle of Volta Mantovana (1080)|battle]].{{sfn|Overmann|1895|loc=Regest 40a}}<ref>Lino Lionello Ghirardini, "La battaglia di Volta Mantovana (ottobre 1080)". (in Italian) In: Paolo Golinelli (ed.): ''Sant'Anselmo, Mantova e la lotta per le investiture. Atti del convegno di studi (Mantova 23–24–25 maggio 1986)''. Bologna 1987, pp. 229–240.</ref> Some Tuscan nobles took advantage of the uncertainty and positioned themselves against Matilda; few places remained faithful to her. In a donation of 9 December 1080 to the Modenese monastery of [[San Prospero]], only a few local followers are named.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=117}}{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 33}}

Matilda, however, did not surrender. While Gregory VII was forced into exile, by retaining control over all the western passes in the Apennines, she could force Henry IV to approach Rome via [[Ravenna]]; even with this route open, the emperor would find it hard to besiege Rome with a hostile territory at his back. In December 1080 the citizens of Lucca, then the capital of Tuscany, had revolted and driven out her ally, Bishop [[Anselm of Lucca|Anselm]]. She is believed to have commissioned the renowned [[Ponte della Maddalena]] where the [[Via Francigena]] crosses the river [[Serchio]] at [[Borgo a Mozzano]] just north of [[Lucca]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.castellitoscani.com/italian/diavolo.htm|title=Ponte della Maddalena (detto 'Ponte del Diavolo')|website=www.castellitoscani.com |language=it |access-date=15 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firenzetoday.it/cronaca/ponte-diavolo-lucca.html|title=La leggenda del ponte del Diavolo (e perché dovreste visitarlo)|website=FirenzeToday|date=2 March 2015 |language=it |access-date=15 November 2020}}</ref>

Henry IV crossed the Alps in the spring of 1081. He gave up his previous reluctance toward his cousin Matilda and honored the city of [[Lucca]] for their transfer to the royal side. On 23 June 1081, the king issued the citizens of Lucca a comprehensive privilege in the army camp outside Rome. By granting special urban rights, the king intended to weaken Matilda's rule.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=51}} In July 1081 at a synod in Lucca, Henry IV—on account of her 1079 donation to the Church—imposed [[Imperial ban]] upon Matilda and all her domains were forfeit, although this was not enough to eliminate her as a source of trouble, for she retained substantial [[allodial]] holdings. The consequences for Matilda, however, were relatively minor in Italy, but she suffered losses in her far-away Lorraine possessions. On 1 June 1085, Henry IV gave Matilda's domains Stenay and Mosay to Bishop Dietrich of Verdun.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=53}}{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=121}}

Matilda remained Pope Gregory VII's chief intermediary for communication with northern Europe even as he lost control of Rome and was holed up in the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]]. After Henry IV obtained possession of the pope's seal, Matilda wrote to supporters in Germany only to trust papal messages that came through her.

A guerrilla war developed that Matilda waged from her castles in the Apennines. In 1082 she was apparently insolvent. Therefore, she could no longer bind her vassals to her with generous gifts or fiefs. But even in dire straits, she did not let up in her zeal for the reform papacy. Although also a supporter of church reform, her mother had distanced herself from Gregory VII's revolutionary goals where these endangered the foundations of her rule structures.{{sfn|Goez|1995|p=171}} In this setting, mother and daughter differed significantly from one another. Matilda had the church treasure of the Apollonius monastery built near Canossa Castle melted down; precious metal vessels and other treasures from [[Territorial Abbey of Nonantola|Nonantola Abbey]] also were  melted down. She even sold her [[Allod]] city of [[Donceel]] to the [[St James's Church, Liège|Abbey of Saint-Jacques]] in [[Liège]]. All the proceeds were made available to the pope. The royal side of the dispute then accused her of plundering churches and monasteries.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=66}} [[Pisa]] and [[Lucca]] sided with Henry IV. As a result, Matilda lost two of her most important pillars of power in Tuscany. She had to stand by and watch as anti-Gregorian bishops were installed in several places.

Henry IV's control of Rome enabled him to enthrone Antipope Clement III, who, in turn, crowned him emperor. After this, Henry IV returned to Germany, leaving it to his allies to attempt Matilda's dispossession. These attempts foundered after Matilda (with help of the city of [[Bologna]]) defeated them at [[Bomporto|Sorbara]] near [[Modena]] on 2 July 1084. In the battle, Matilda was able to capture [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Parma|Bishop Bernardo of Parma]] and make him a hostage. By 1085 [[Tedald (archbishop of Milan)|Archbishop Tedaldo of Milan]] and the Bishops [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla|Gandolfo of Reggio Emilia]] and Bernardo of Parma, all members of the pro-imperial party, were dead. Matilda took this opportunity and filled the Bishoprics sees in Modena, Reggio, and Pistoia with church reformers again.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=66}}

Gregory VII died on 25 May 1085, and Matilda's forces, with those of Prince [[Jordan I of Capua]] (her off and on again enemy), took to the field in support of a new pope, [[Victor III]]. In 1087, Matilda led an expedition to Rome in an attempt to install Victor III, but the strength of the imperial counterattack soon convinced the pope to withdraw from the city.

On his third expedition to Italy, Henry IV besieged [[Mantua]] and attacked Matilda's sphere of influence. In April 1091 he was able to take the city after an eleven-month siege. In the following months, the emperor achieved further successes against the vassals of the Margravine. In the summer of 1091, he managed to get the entire north area of the Po with the Counties of Mantua, [[Brescia]], and [[Verona]] under his control.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=70}} In 1092 Henry IV was able to conquer most of the counties of [[Modena]] and [[Reggio nell'Emilia|Reggio]]. The [[Polirone Abbey|Monastery of San Benedetto in Polirone]] suffered severe damages in the course of the military conflict so that on 5 October 1092 Matilda gave the monastery the churches of San Prospero, San Donino in Monte Uille, and San Gregorio in Antognano to compensate.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=87}}{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 44}} Matilda had a meeting with her few remaining faithful allies in the late summer of 1092 at [[Carpineti]].<ref>Lino Lionello Ghirardini "II convegno di Carpineti "colloquium dignum Carpineti fuit istud"", pp. 401–404 in [[#g1994|Golinelli 1994]]</ref> The majority of them were in favor of peace. Only the hermit Johannes from Marola strongly advocated a continuation of the fight against the emperor. Thereupon Matilda implored her followers not to give up the fight. The imperial army began to siege Canossa in the autumn of 1092, but withdrew after a sudden failure of the siege; after this defeat, Henry IV's influence in Italy was never recovered.{{sfn|Eads|2010|p=23–68}}

In the 1090s Henry IV got increasingly on the defensive.{{sfn|Althoff|2006|p=209}} A coalition of the southern German princes had prevented him from returning to the empire over the Alpine passes. For several years the emperor remained inactive in the area around [[Verona]]. In the spring of 1093, [[Conrad II of Italy|Conrad]], his eldest son and heir to the throne, fell from him. With the support of Matilda along with the [[Pataria|Patarene]]-minded cities of northern Italy ([[Cremona]], [[Lodi, Lombardy|Lodi]], [[Milan]], and [[Piacenza]]), the prince rebelled against his father. Sources close to the emperor saw Matilda's influence on Conrad as the reason for the rebellion of the son against his father, but contemporary sources don't reveal any closer contact between the two before the rebellion.{{sfn|Goez|1996|p=26}} A little later, Conrad was taken prisoner by his father but with Matilda's help, he was freed. With the support of the Margravine, Conrad was crowned [[King of Italy]] by Archbishop [[Anselm III (archbishop of Milan)|Anselm III of Milan]] before 4 December 1093. Together with the pope, Matilda organized the marriage of King Conrad with Maximilla, daughter of Count [[Roger I of Sicily]]. This was intended to win the support of the Normans of southern Italy against Henry IV.{{sfn|Struve|1995|p=77}} Conrad's initiatives to expand his rule in northern Italy probably led to tensions with Matilda,{{sfn|Goez|1996|p=40}} and for this, he didn't find any more support for his rule. After 22 October 1097, his political activity was virtually ended, his death in the summer of 1101 from a fever being the only mention.{{sfn|Goez|1996|p=46}}

In 1094 Henry IV's second wife, the [[Rurikid]] princess [[Eupraxia of Kiev]] (renamed Adelaide after her marriage), escaped from her imprisonment at the monastery of San Zeno and spread serious allegations against him. Henry IV then had her arrested in Verona.{{sfn|Robinson|2003|p=289}} With the help of Matilda, Adelaide was able to escape again and find refuge with her. At the beginning of March 1095 [[Pope Urban II]] called the [[Council of Piacenza]] under the protection of Matilda. There Adelaide appeared and made a public confession{{sfn|Althoff|2006|p=213}} about Henry IV "because of the unheard-of atrocities of fornication which she had endured with her husband":<ref>[[Bernold of Constance]], ''Chronicon'', 1095.</ref>{{sfn|Goez|1996|p=31}}<ref>Tilman Struve, "War Heinrich IV. ein Wüstling? Szenen einer Ehe am salischen Hof". (in German) In: Oliver Wünsch, Thomas Zotz (ed.): ''Scientia veritatis. Festschrift für Hubert Mordek zum 65. Geburtstag''. Ostfildern 2004, pp. 273–288.</ref> she accused Henry IV of forcing her to participate in orgies, and, according to some later accounts, of attempting a [[black mass]] on her naked body.{{sfn|Robinson|2003|p=289ff.}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Natalia Pushkareva|url=http://bibliotekar.ru/polk-11/5.htm|title=Женщины Древней Руси: Глава I. "Галерея знаменитых россиянок" Анна-Янка и Евпраксия-Адельгейда Всеволодовны|year=1989 |language=ru |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref> Thanks to these scandals and division within the Imperial family, the prestige and power of Henry IV was increasingly weakened. After the synod, Matilda no longer had any contact with Adelaide.

==== Second marriage: Welf V of Bavaria ====
[[File:MatildaTuscie villani.jpg|left|thumb|Matilda weds Welf V (l), (r) she and her new husband ride to view her property. Illumination from the fourteenth century in a manuscript of the ''Nuova Chronica'' by [[Giovanni Villani]]. [[Vatican Library]], Chigi LVIII 296, fol. 56r]]
In 1088 Matilda was facing a new attempt at invasion by Henry IV, and decided to pre-empt it by means of a political marriage. In 1089 Matilda (in her early forties) married [[Welf II, Duke of Bavaria|Welf V]], heir to the [[Duchy of Bavaria]] and who was probably fifteen to seventeen years old,{{sfn|Hay|2008|p=124–129}} but none of the contemporary sources goes into the great age difference.{{sfn|Goez|2004|p=369}} The marriage was probably concluded at the instigation of [[Pope Urban II]] in order to politically isolate Henry IV. According to historian Elke Goez, the union of northern and southern Alpine opponents of the Salian dynasty initially had no military significance, because Welf V didn't appear in northern Italy with troops. In Matilda's documents, no Swabian names are listed in the subsequent period, so that Welf V could have moved to Italy alone or with a small entourage.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=139}} According to the Rosenberg Annals, he even came across the Alps disguised as a pilgrim.{{sfn|Goez|2004|p=363}} Matilda's motive for this marriage, despite the large age difference and the political alliance—her new husband was a member of the [[House of Welf|Welf dynasty]], who were important supporters of the papacy from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries in their conflict with the German emperors (see [[Guelphs and Ghibellines]])—, may also have been the hope for offspring:{{sfn|Goez|2004|p=368}} late pregnancy was quite possible, as the example of [[Constance I of Sicily|Constance of Sicily]] shows.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=139}}

[[Cosmas of Prague]] (writing in the early twelfth century), included a letter in his ''Chronica Boemorum'' and claimed that Matilda had sent it to her future husband, but now the letter is thought to be spurious:{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 140}}<ref>{{cite journal|author=J. Chodor|title=Queens in Early Medieval Chronicles of East Central Europe|journal=East Central Europe|volume= 1|year=1991|pages=9–50 [32]}}</ref>

::''Not for feminine lightness or recklessness, but for the good of all my kingdom, I send you this letter: agreeing to it, you take with it myself and the rule over the whole of Lombardy. I'll give you so many cities, so many castles and noble palaces, so much gold and silver, that you will have a famous name, if you endear yourself to me; do not reproof me for boldness because I first address you with the proposal. It's reason for both male and female to desire a legitimate union, and it makes no difference whether the man or the woman broaches the first line of love, sofar as an indissoluble marriage is sought. Goodbye''.<ref>Cosmas of Prague, ''Chronica Boemorum'', II, ch. 32, MGH SS 9 p.88, accessible online in Latin and with an English translation at: [http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/217.html Epistolae: Medieval Women's Latin Letters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625112836/http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/217.html |date=2015-06-25 }}.</ref>

Matilda sent an army of thousands to the border of Lombardy to escort her bridegroom, welcomed him with honors, and after the marriage (mid-1089), she organized 120 days of wedding festivities, with such splendor that those of any other medieval rulers pale in comparison. Cosmas also reports that for two nights after the wedding, Welf V, fearing witchcraft, refused to share the marital bed. The third day, Matilda appeared naked on a table especially prepared on sawhorses, and told him that ''everything is in front of you and there is no hidden malice''. But the Duke was dumbfounded; Matilda, furious, slapped him and spat in his face, taunting him: ''Get out of here, monster, you don't deserve our kingdom, you vile thing, viler than a worm or a rotten seaweed, don't let me see you again, or you'll die a miserable death''....<ref>Cosmas of Prague, ''Chronica Boemorum'', II, ch.32, in B. Bretholz and W. Weinberger, ed., ''Die Chronik der Böhmen des Cosmas von Prag'', MGH SS rer Germ NS 2 (Berlin, 1923), pp. 128f., accessible online at: [http://www.dmgh.de/de/fs1/object/goToPage/bsb00000683.html?pageNo=128&sortIndex=010%3A060%3A0002%3A010%3A00%3A00 Monumenta Germaniae Historica] (in Latin).</ref>

Despite the reportedly bad beginning of their marriage, Welf V is documented at least three times as Matilda's consort.{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 42, 43, 45}} By the spring of 1095 the couple were separated: in April 1095 Welf V had signed Matilda's donation charter for [[Piadena]], but a next diploma dated 21 May 1095 was already issued by Matilda alone.<ref>Johannes Laudage, "Welf lV. und die Kirchenreform des 11. Jahrhunderts". (in German) In: Dieter R. Bauer, Matthias Becher (ed.): ''Welf IV. Schlüsselfigur einer Wendezeit. Regionale und europäische Perspektiven''. Munich 2004, p. 308.</ref>{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 46}} Welf V's name no longer appears in any of the Mathildic documents.{{sfn|Goez|2004|p=363}} As a father-in-law, [[Welf I, Duke of Bavaria|Welf IV]] tried to reconcile the couple; he was primarily concerned with the possible inheritance of the childless Matilda.{{sfn|Althoff|2006|p=220}} The couple was never divorced, nor was the marriage declared invalid.{{sfn|Goez|2004|p=374}}

==== Final defeat of Henry IV and new room for maneuvers for Matilda ====
With the ''de facto'' end of Matilda's marriage, Henry IV regained his capacity to act. Welf IV switched to the imperial side. The emperor locked in [[Verona]] was finally able to return to the north of the Alps in 1097. After that he never returned to Italy, and it would be 13 years before his son and namesake set foot on Italian soil for the first time. With the assistance of the French armies heading off to the [[First Crusade]], Matilda was finally able to restore [[Pope Urban II]] to [[Rome]].{{sfn|Peters|1971|p=34}} She ordered or led successful expeditions against [[Ferrara]] (1101), [[Parma]] (1104), [[Prato]] (1107), and [[Mantua]] (1114).

In eleventh century Italy, the rise of the cities began, in interaction with the overarching conflict. They soon succeeded in establishing their own territories. In Lucca, Pavia, and Pisa, [[consul]]s appeared as early as the 1080s, which are considered to be signs of the legal independence of the "communities". Pisa sought its advantage in changing alliances with the Salian dynasty and the House of Canossa.{{sfn|Goez|2010|p=125}} Lucca remained completely closed to the Margravine from 1081. It was not until Allucione de Luca's marriage to the daughter of the royal judge Flaipert that she gained new opportunities to influence. Flaipert had already been one of the most important advisors of the House of Canossa since the times of Matilda's mother. Allucione was a vassal of Count Guidi, with whom Matilda worked closely.{{sfn|Goez|2006b|p=326}}{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=150}} Mantua had to make considerable concessions in June 1090; the inhabitants of the city and the suburbs were freed from all "unjustified" oppression and all rights and property in Sacca, [[Sustinente|Sustante]] and Corte Carpaneta were confirmed.{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 43}}

After 1096 the balance of power slowly began to change again in favor of the Margravine. Matilda resumed her donations to ecclesiastical and social institutions in Lombardy, Emilia, and Tuscany.{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 49–51}} In the summer of 1099 and 1100 her route first led to Lucca and Pisa. There it can be detected again in the summer of 1105, 1107, and 1111.<ref name=goez1999/> In early summer of 1099 she gave the [[San Ponziano, Lucca|Monastery of San Ponziano]] a piece of land for the establishment of a hospital. With this donation, Matilda resumed her relations with Lucca.<ref>Katrin Dort, "Adlige Armenfürsorge im Bistum Lucca bis zum Ausgang des 12. Jahrhunderts". (in German) In: Lukas Clemens, Katrin Dort, Felix Schumacher (ed.): ''Laienadel und Armenfürsorge im Mittelalter''. Trier 2015, p. 30.</ref>{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 51}}

After 1090 Matilda accentuated the consensual rule. After the profound crises, she was no longer able to make political decisions on her own. She held meetings with spiritual and secular nobles in Tuscany and also in her home countries of Emilia. She had to take into account the ideas of her loyal friends and come to an agreement with them.{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=148}} In her role as the most important guarantor of the law, she increasingly lost importance in relation to the bishops. They repeatedly asked the Margravine to put an end to grievances.{{sfn|Goez|Goez|1998|loc=n° 65, 101, 109, 132}} As a result, the bishops expanded their position within the episcopal cities and in the surrounding area.{{sfn|Goez|2006b|p=326}}{{sfn|Goez|2012|p=330, note 57}} After 1100 Matilda had to repeatedly protect churches from her own subjects. The accommodation requirements had also been reduced.