Guelfi

Guelfi, or Guelphs, were a political faction in medieval Italy that supported the Papacy in its broader conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor. The name is linked to the Welf (Guelph) dynasty in Germany, and the opposing faction in Italy were the Ghibellines, who supported the Emperor. The Guelfi became a common designation for papal allies in northern and central Italian cities from the 12th century onward, shaping local governance and alliances.

In many Italian city-states, the Guelfi and Ghibellines intertwined national rivalries with urban politics. Cities such as Florence, Bologna, Pisa, and Milan experienced cycles of Guelf and Ghibelline supremacy, shifting alliances as papal policy and imperial power waxed and waned. The most famous confrontation associated with the Guelfi is the battle of Montaperti in 1260, where Ghibelline Siena defeated Guelfine Florence, illustrating how factional loyalties could determine fortunes on the battlefield and in civic life. Over time, internal factions within the Guelfi—often described in later sources as White Guelfs and Black Guelfs—reflected rivalries over political direction and control of urban elites.

By the late Middle Ages, the influence of the Guelfi declined as political authority in many Italian cities evolved away from papal-imperial polarity, giving rise to new aristocratic, republican, or territorial rulers. The historical term remains a way to describe the papal-aligned faction in medieval Italian politics and its long-term impact on urban governance, diplomacy, and local factions.