# Walk to Canossa (1077)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1077-walk-to-canossa
Location: Canossa, Italy
Categories: main-event

Excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII in the Investiture Controversy, Henry IV crossed the Alps in winter and stood barefoot in the snow at Canossa for three days in January 1077. The pope lifted the ban. The phrase 'going to Canossa' became proverbial in German for humiliating submission.

## Why it matters
It symbolised the struggle between spiritual and secular power in medieval Europe.

Ruler at the time: [Henry IV](https://germany-history.com/rulers/henry-iv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Road to Canossa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_to_Canossa)
- [Wikipedia – Investiture Controversy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investiture_Controversy)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Investiture Controversy](https://www.britannica.com/event/Investiture-Controversy)