Emperor Henry VII

Henry VII of Luxembourg (1275-1313), Count of Luxembourg, became King of Germany in 1308 and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1312. His brief reign sought to consolidate imperial authority in Italy but was challenged by the Guelph and Ghibelline factions. In 1311, he undertook an expedition to Italy where he faced hostility from Pope Clement V, Philip IV of France, and Robert of Anjou, King of Naples. Henry sought papal coronation in Rome in 1312, but tensions escalated. He besieged Florence in 1312 but had to give up. In 1313, after conquests and negotiations, he fell ill and died in Buonconvento, possibly poisoned. His death marked the end of imperial hopes in Italy.