Pope Gregory VII let Henry, clad in the thin robe of a penitent, stand in the courtyard in 1077 for three days.

---

Pope Gregory VII excommunicated King Henry IV of Germany . Not wishing to bear the social results of the papal ban, Henry crossed Mont Cenis in the middle of winter to make peace. Gregory was at the castle of Canossa, high in the mountains in north-central Italy and let Henry, clad in the thin robe of a penitent, stand in the courtyard in 1077 for three days. At length, Gregory granted Henry absolution but only on humiliating terms of submission.

---

Size: 3220px × 4650px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: ages, canossa, castle, cenis, german, germany, gregory, henry, history, iv, king, medieval, middle, mont, penitent, pope, royal, vii