Prior to Pope Urban II’s famous speech at the Council Clermont which launched the First Crusade, Urban presided over the Council of Piacenza which was just as significant to the calling of the First Crusade.
The Council of Piacenza took place between 1st and 7th March 1095. It was held in the year following Urban’s entry into Rome after he had successfully ousted the Anti-Pope, Clement III. For more information on Clement III, see my post: The Context of the First Crusade – Pope Urban II. In many ways, Piacenza was part of the process of Urban rebuilding his support base after his successful entry into Rome, and Piacenza was the culmination of this success. 1J. Riley-Smith, and S. A. Throop The Crusades: A History, (2023), p. 42.
The Significance of Clermont
Piacenza lay in the heart of territory previously loyal to Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy and in the heart of Clement III’s original archbishopric of Ravenna. Thus Piacenza was a deliberate choice for the location of this council. This was intended to be a clear demonstration of papal power.
Piacenza held further symbolism – it was the first international ecclesiastical assembly of Urban’s pontificate. The Council of Piacenza was well attended. Urban’s prestigious audience included numerous bishops and lay magnates. Attendance of some notable secular individuals served to enhance Urban’s position and demonstrated how much support he had. 2M.W. Marshall, ‘The Councils of Piacenza and Clermont’ in M.W. Marshall (ed.) A History of the Crusades, Volume 1, (1958), p. 229. The Council was so well attended that on occasion the Council met outdoors as there was no church in Ravenna to hold such a large gathering. 3U.R. Blumenthal, Piacenza, Council of (1095), in A.V. Murray (ed.), The Crusades: An Encyclopedia, (2006), p. 957.
Matters of the Council
Here, presiding over the Council in person and sitting in judgement on matters of Church and State. Urban was sending a clear message – the Papacy was back and Urban was very much in charge. However, behind this facade, the reality was that Urban was still not in a powerful enough position to safely hold a Church Council in Rome itself.4J. Riley-Smith, and S. A. Throop The Crusades: A History, (2023), p. 42.
One of Urban’s main objectives throughout his pontificate was to further the Gregorian Reforms initiated by his predecessor and mentor, Pope Gregory VII. Urban had sought to enforce these issues in previous Church Councils. At Piacenza, Urban furthered these reforms by discussing the morals of the Church and the clergy. Urban re-issued the ban on Simony (buying and selling of Church offices). He also re-issued the ban on clerical marriage.
Secular Matters
One important attendee was Praxeda, the wife of the German Emperor, Henry IV. Henry had her imprisoned but she had escaped and fled to the protection of Matilda of Tuscany. Urban convinced Praxeda to make a public confession and accused her husband of a number of scandalous crimes. Praxeda’s attendance and confession further strengthened Urban’s position and provided an unmissable opportunity to further discredit the Emperor.
An embassy from Philip, King of France also arrived. They were sent to try and persuade Urban to revoke his excommunication of Philip. Philip had pursued a relationship with Bertrada of Anjou, who was already married to Count Fulk IV of Anjou le Réchin (apparently so-called either because he was rude, or he had deformed feet). Philip refused to end the affair. He was also married but according to contemporaries, he was totally devoted to Bertrada. The couple married, bigamously in 1092 and Philip was subsequently excommunicated. Urban refused to revoke the excommunication. Here we can see Urban stamping his authority working to demonstrate his power over the Western Kings.
Philip and Bertrada -Chroniques de Saint-Denis (ou de France), British Library, Royal 16 G VI f. 271, Via Wikimedia Commons
The cases of Philip of France and Henry IV of Germany are clear examples of Urban presiding over the morality of two of the most powerful secular rulers in Western Europe. Piacenza was intended to demonstrate papal authority and Urban’s plan to re-enforce the Gregorian Reforms.
The Byzantine Embassy
The most exciting part of the Council was undoubtedly the Byzantine embassy.
The Byzantine Emperor, Alexius I Comnenus had sent this embassy to carry a message, which was an appeal to Pope Urban II. Alexius was struggling to push back the Muslim threat from the East as it took lands formerly held by the Byzantine Empire. Alexius needed help, and he was turning to Pope Urban and his Christian brethren in the West for assistance. 5D. C. Munro, “Did the Emperor Alexius I. Ask for Aid to the Council of Placenza, 1095?” The American Historical Review, Jul., 1922, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Jul., 1922), pp. 731-733
We do not know the contents of the plea, but a number of chroniclers make mention of this embassy and make general reference to the appeal for aid.6 We know about the events of the Council of Piacenza as it is discussed by a number of chroniclers. Most of our information comes from the account of Bernold of Constance who may or may not have been present but was a contemporary.
Did Urban Conceive the Idea of a Crusade Prior to the Council of Piacenza?
However, Riley-Smith argued that it is possible that Urban had conceived of a plan to assist his Byzantine brethren in the East prior to 1095. Riley-Smith argued that Urban’s announcement of an intended expedition to France in July 1089 during his discussion with Alexius regarding the state of the Western and Eastern Churches may have had the purpose of requesting French volunteers to go East. 7J. Riley-Smith, The First Crusade and Idea of Crusading, (2003), p.p. 14-15.
Cowdrey also argued that Urban may have conceived of the idea of a Crusade prior to Piacenza. In 1089, Urban was considering the Islamic frontier in Spain. The Pope wrote to lay and ecclesiastic inhabitants of Tarragona and Barcelona requesting aid in restoring the Church and city of Tarragona. Cowdrey argues Urban’s promise of spiritual benefits, the same as those enjoyed by pilgrims to Jerusalem mean he likely had the restoration of Jerusalem from the hands of the Muslim foe in mind.8 H. E. J. Cowdrey, “Pope Urban II’s Preaching of the First Crusade”, History, 1970, Vol. 55, No. 184 (1970), p. 186.
The Road to the First Crusade
Although we do not know the details of the appeal, we know that Alexius called for aid. He wanted Urban to send well-armed, well-trained knights that he could use to push back the Muslims who had taken his lands in the East.
The Council of Piacenza was a resounding success. Capitalizing on his achievements here, Urban embarked on an elaborate tour of France, the first by a pope in almost half a century. The tour would end with the Council of Clermont in November of the same year.
It is not difficult to imagine Urban planning his announcement for, what would come to be known as, the First Crusade during the months between Piacenza and Clermont. Urban would undoubtedly have been in discussion with his advisors, with French lay and clerical officials, planning his announcement. Following Alexius’ call for aid, Urban must have envisaged gathering a Papal army, one which he could send to Emperor Alexius. This expedition, he likely envisaged would not only enhance his own prestige and that of the papacy but also heal the wounds caused by the Papal Schism of 1054 and the separation of the East and Western Church.
Little did Urban know the call that he was planning in these months was to begin a chain of events that would see generations of Christians heading East and see the capture of and subsequent loss of Jerusalem and the Holy Lands.
Bibliography
Blumenthal, U.R., Piacenza, Council of (1095), in A.V. Murray (ed.), The Crusades: An Encyclopedia, (2006), p.p. 956-957.
Cowdrey, H.E.J., “Pope Urban II’s Preaching of the First Crusade”, History, Vol. 55, No. 184 (1970), pp. 177-188.
Marshall, M.W., ‘The Councils of Piacenza and Clermont’ in M.W. Marshall (ed.) A History of the Crusades, Volume 1, (1958), pp. 220-252.
Munro, D.C., “Did the Emperor Alexius I. Ask for Aid to the Council of Placenza, 1095?” The American Historical Review, No. 4 (Jul., 1922), pp. 731-733.
Riley-Smith, J., The First Crusade and Idea of Crusading, (2003).
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