Henry VI of Hohenstaufen and Constance of Sicily’s marriage and coronation: : Politics, ritual, and the social tensions in Milan at the end of the twelfth century.

The contribution starts from the reconstruction of the Italian geopolitical scenario and of the events related to the marriage of Henry VI († 1197) and Constance of Hauteville († 1198) as well as to the contextual coronation that took place at Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. In particular, it is interesting to underline how the latter event can be traced back to the Milanese liturgical tradition of royal coronations, as well as to the so-called "Architriclinus Feast". Through the observation of these events and their symbolic significance, the social-political balance in Milan during a time of change in relation to the two highest authorities can be considered this way: while on the one hand Pope Urban III (1185-1187) clearly distanced himself from this initiative, on the other hand the former rival of the empire had just inaugurated a period of strong cooperation with the Staufen court. The presence of the sovereign in a metropolis as Milan almost acted as a litmus test to highlight the tensions between the various social and ecclesiastical parts of the city, which was, moreover, closely interconnected. The privileged vantage point from which to observe these phenomena are the two religious communities that officiated in the basilica of Saint Ambrose, namely the canons and the monks. Although in the 80s of the twelfth century Milan generally appeared to be in close collaboration with the policies of Frederick I and Henry VI, it is possible to glimpse some frictions that will have more marked consequences in the following decades. In this perspective, one can also understand the role, theoretically super partes, of the first foreign podestà attested in Milan in 1186: Uberto Vicecomes of Piacenza.