Grosso - Bishop Nicolo Maltraversi Reggio Emilia

Reggio Emilia's episcopal mint operated under persistent friction with the commune, which had its own monetary ambitions throughout the thirteenth century. Nicolo Maltraversi's tenure as bishop coincided with the broader Lombard struggle between Guelph and Ghibelline factions, and the city shifted allegiances more than once during this decade. The grosso type issued under his authority belongs to the early phase of northern Italian civic and ecclesiastical mints adopting the grosso denomination — a format pioneered by Venice around 1194 and spreading unevenly through the Po Valley over the following half-century.

Surviving examples are scarce. The episcopal mint at Reggio was neither prolific nor long-lived as an independent striking authority.