the Olona River, the only natural barrier that separated it from the faithful Pavia, trusting to have the possibility to enter the area controlled by the allied city after having traveled the remaining 50 km in a horse day. Overall, according to most historians, the imperial army encamped in Cairate was formed by 3,000 men (2,000 of whom were reinforcements from Germany), the vast majority of whom were heavy cavalry, who was able, if necessary, to fight on foot. Despite the numerical disparity, the extent of the Teutonic army was highly respected, given that it consisted of professional soldiers. The army of the League was instead mainly made up of private citizens who were recruited in case of need; the knights of the League, given the high cost of the steed and armor, were of high social extraction, while the infantry were mostly peasants and citizens from the low social classes. The Carroccio in Legnano However, the information regarding Barbarossa encamped in Cairate did not reach the leaders of the Lombard League, who were convinced that the emperor was distant, still in Bellinzona waiting for the reinforcement troops. For this reason, the Carroccio, the emblem of the autonomy of the municipalities belonging to the Lombard League carrying the cross of Aribert, escorted by a few hundred men of the League, was transferred from Milan to Legnano, leaving from the capital of Milan from Porta Romana, and then up the Olona to its final destination. In Legnano the Carroccio was placed along a slope flanking the river, presumably wooded, to have a natural defense on at least one side, that traced by the stream. In this way, Barbarossa, who was expected along the river coming from Castellanza, would have been obliged to attack the municipal army in a situation of disadvantage, having to go back to this depression. This choice turned out to be wrong: in fact Barbarossa arrived from Borsano (nowadays frazione of Busto Arsizio), that is from the opposite side, forcing the municipal troops to resist around the Carroccio with the escape road blocked by the Olona. Another possible reason that led the municipal troops to position the Carroccio in Legnano was to anticipate Barbarossa, still believed to be far away, by making an incursion into the Seprio with the aim of preventing a new alliance between the two: the Seprio was in fact a historically connected territory with