Frederick II of Swabia, Emperor of the Romans and King of Sicily, is often remembered as one of the most enlightened rulers of the Middle Ages, embodying almost pre-Enlightenment characteristics. Yet, he also holds many dark aspects: like his grandfather Frederick Barbarossa, he revived ancient Roman law, which contained numerous provisions aimed at punishing those who opposed the power of the Caesars—a power that both men claimed as their legacy, aided and supported by the newly established University of Bologna. This strict rule came at a high price for Pietro Tiepolo, son of the Venetian Doge Jacopo. Tiepolo, the podestà of Milan and sworn enemy of the Staufer and imperial power, was captured after the Battle of Cortenuova in 1237 along with the Milanese carroccio (battle wagon). Following this battle, the Lombard League’s army was utterly defeated, leading to the dissolution of the alliance among the Guelph cities, which then submitted to the emperor.

In Cremona, a traditionally Ghibelline city, imperial celebrations followed, where Pietro was paraded tied to the flagpole of the aforementioned carroccio, drawn by an elephant carrying a turret from which trumpeters proclaimed the emperor's triumph. He was later transferred to prison in Puglia. Since the Venetians continued to raid the coasts of the Kingdom of Sicily, Frederick II resolved to have Pietro hanged. His body was sewn into a leather sack and displayed so that Venetian ships could witness the fate awaiting those who opposed imperial power. This climate of “total war” ultimately backfired on the pro-imperial faction after Frederick II's death, with many of his supporters suffering similar or even worse fates than that of the unfortunate podestà of Milan.