The ancient Roman colony of Laus Pompeia (now known as Old Lodi) lay near the site of present-day Lodi, between the Lambro and Adda rivers where the roads to Cremona, Mediolanum (now Milan), and Placentia (now Piacenza) converged. At the end of the 4th century AD, Old Lodi became the seat of a bishopric, and by the 10th century the bishop had asserted his power over the local count. The bishop then came into conflict with the archbishop of Milan over the control of Milan's river outlets on the Adda and Lambro. This rivalry continued into the 12th century, and the city was burned by the Milanese in 1110 and again in 1155. Three years later Emperor Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire granted the citizens of Old Lodi the right to rebuild their city nearby, at its present site. In 1162 citizens of Lodi destroyed Milan. Shortly thereafter Lodi entered the Lombard League, a military alliance formed by a number of northern Italian cities, including Milan, to resist the imperialistic aims of Frederick I. After the league defeated Frederick I in 1176, the old conflict between Lodi and Milan resumed. Peace was established in 1198.
Meanwhile, internal strife broke out between two Italian political factions, the Guelphs and Ghibellines. The Guelphs were generally triumphant against the Visconti, the family that ruled Milan and the surrounding region from the 13th century through the first half of the 15th century. During this time, Lodi underwent frequent changes in sovereignty until the Visconti lost control of the region in 1447. After a year of Venetian occupation, Lodi was again subjected to Milanese rule, under the Sforza family. In 1454 the Milanese, under Francesco Sforza, signed a peace treaty with the Venetian Republic in Lodi. This marked the virtual disappearance of the smaller states from the power struggle in Italy. It also marked the creation of an equilibrium between the greater powers of Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, and the papacy.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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