A quiz question · hard
How many days did Emperor Henry IV stand barefoot in the snow at Canossa in January 1077 before Pope Gregory VII admitted him?
Henry stood outside the Canossa gate in a hairshirt, barefoot in deep January snow, for three days (25-27 January 1077). Gregory admitted him on 28 January and lifted the excommunication. The Investiture Controversy continued for 45 more years.
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The Holy Roman Emperor Who Walked Through Three Days of Snow Barefoot in a Hairshirt to Beg Pope Gregory VII's Forgiveness in January 1077 Emperor Henry IV stood outside the gates of Canossa Castle in the northern Italian Apennines in a hairshirt, barefoot, in deep snow, for three days from 25 to 27 January 1077. He was begging Pope Gregory VII to lift the excommunication that had threatened his control of the Holy Roman Empire. The Pope eventually admitted him and lifted the ban. The political conflict — the Investiture Controversy — continued for another 45 years.
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