Note 6 — Chapter II · Frederick Ascends the Throne
George P. (George Putnam) Upton translation
The Guelphs, or Welfs, as they were called in Germany, were the papal party in Italy in the Middle Ages. They were the founders of the house of Brunswick and Hanover to which the present English royal family belongs. The Ghibellines were the imperial and aristocratic party in Italy who derived their name from Waiblingen, an estate in Franconia. The conflict between the two parties was begun in Germany and transferred to Italy, where it raged until the end of the fifteenth century.