Pietro Tiepolo

Son of Giacomo Tiepolo, Doge of Venice (r. 1229 - 1249).

Pietro led the defence of Trevisio against the army of Emperor Frederick II which was led by Ezzelino da Romano (1236). Pietro was forced to surrender the city of Trevisio to Ezzelino one year later (1237).

Pietro was then invited to become Podesta of Milan (1237). However, Frederick II's troops defeated those of Milan at the Battle of Cortenuova (27/11/1237), and Pietro was taken prisoner. He was then paraded in triumph through the city of Cremona on an elephant.

Milan and Trevisio were just a number of Italian cities which made up the Lombard League against Emperor Frederick II. The Lombard League had been established (1167) in response to countering Imperial influence on the Italian Peninsula, begun under Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Membership of the League varied over the years, and it was not unusual to find cities once opposed to the Holy Roman Emperor now allied with him. The League was finally dissolved upon the death of Emperor Frederick II (1250).