The Holy City was on its knees. The emperors, once Rome's protectors, were now in the ascendant, dominating Italy. The Holy Roman Emperors, successors of Charlemagne and, in effect, kings of Germany, repeatedly marched south to attack Rome and terrorise its popes. Only a few popes had the strength to fight back by reinvigorating papal authority and the sanctity of the city. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII took a stand. He published the Dicatatus Papae that declared the absolute supremacy of the papacy and Rome. From now on, emperors would bow to popes. Gregory's posturing infuriated the German emperor, Henry IV. He deposed the Pope. But Gregory hit back, ex-communicating Henry, in effect, stripping him of all his powers. The toxic relationship between pope and emperor had ignited, and Rome was its victim. Gregory allied himself with the Normans, but when they occupied the city in 1084, things turned violent. Rome became a blazing inferno.


这座神圣之城一颓不起。曾经保卫着罗马的君王，现在权力日益扩大，开始统治支配意大利。罗马帝王，也即查理曼的继任者，以及德国国王，多次南下攻打罗马并胁迫恐吓其教皇。只有少数几个教皇，通过重振教皇权威和罗马城的神圣性，予以还击。 公元1075年，教皇格列高利七世表明了立场。 他发表《教皇声明》(Dicatatus Papae)，宣布教皇和罗马至高无上的地位。从今往后，皇帝们得向教皇低头。格里高利此举激怒了德国皇帝亨利四世。于是，他废黜了教皇。但格里高利进行了回击，他把亨利逐出教会，更确切地说，剥夺了他全部的权力。教皇和皇帝之间的恶性关系一触即发，罗马成了受害者。格里高利诺曼第人结成同盟，但在1084年，他们占领这座城市之时，这场事件演变成暴力冲突。罗马成了战火纷飞的炼狱。