Sack of Rome
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The Sack of Rome of 1527 by the troops of Charles V marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between the emperor and the League of Cognac (1526–1529), consisting of France, Milan, Venice, Florence and the Papacy.
Pope Clement VII had given his support to France in an attempt to alter the balance of power in the region, and free the Papacy from what many considered 'Imperial domination'. However, Charles V was not only able to defeat the French army in Italy, but was unable to pay his forces. So 20,000 mutinous Imperial troops attacked Rome in protest, pillaging and raping for over a month.
Charles was greatly embarrassed and powerless to stop his troops, but he was not displeased by the fact that they had struck decisively against Pope Clement and imprisoned him. Clement VII was to spend the rest of his life trying to avoid conflict with the Emperor, avoiding making decisions that could displease him (e.g. granting Henry VIII an annulment).
This marked the end of the Roman Renaissance, damaged the papacy's prestige and freed Charles' hands to act against the Reformation in Germany.
Nevertheless Martin Luther commented: "Christ reigns in such a way that the emperor who persecutes Luther for the pope is forced to destroy the pope for Luther" (LW 49:169).
Charles III, 8th duc de Bourbon and Constable of France was killed during the sacking.
In fiction
The sack is told in the final part of La Lozana Andaluza, a Spanish novel by Francisco Delicado describing the adventures of an Andalusian prostitute in the corrupt city.