Canossa

American  

[kuh-nos-uh, kah-naws-sah] / kəˈnɒs ə, kɑˈnɔs sɑ /

noun

1. a ruined castle in N Italy: scene of the penance of Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire before Pope Gregory VII in 1077.

---

idioms

1. go to Canossa, to humble oneself.

Canossa British  

/ kaˈnossa, kəˈnɒsə /

noun

1. a ruined castle in N Italy, in Emilia near Reggio nell'Emilia: scene of the penance done by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV before Pope Gregory VII

---

Example Sentences

Hence the pilgrimage to the diner in Iowa is a form of penance, like the road to Canossa in medieval times.

From Salon • May 20, 2023

Drawing from endless documents about King Henry’s visit to Canossa, ChatGPT might well make the same mistake.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2023

The Emperor Henry IV knelt penitentially in the snows of Canossa before Pope Gregory VII; France's King Philip the Fair, a few centuries later, made a virtual prisoner of Boniface VIII.

From Time Magazine Archive

His march was halted only when the humbled King knelt for three days in the snow at Canossa to plead for the Pope's forgiveness.

From Time Magazine Archive

He neglected the offered help, went to Canossa, and, presenting himself before the gate barefoot and clad only in a shirt of sackcloth, he asked to be admitted and pardoned as a repentant sinner.

From A History of Germany From the Earliest Times to the Present Day by Taylor, Bayard