← Explore on the interactive map
Sack of Rome
On May 6, 1527, troops of the Holy Roman Empire, mainly Spanish and German mercenaries, breached Rome's defenses and sacked the Papal States' capital…
Timeline
- 1527Romagna · RomagnaThe Imperial army, long unpaid, mutinied and under Charles, Duke of Bourbon, refused to march north against France, instead turning south to threaten the Papal States. The pope and his allies failed to stop its advance on Rome.
- 1527Walls of Rome · RomeImperial troops broke through Rome's walls, and Charles, Duke of Bourbon was killed in the fighting. Unrestrained soldiers poured into the city, and Pope Clement VII withdrew into the Castel Sant'Angelo to hold out.
- 1527–1528Rome · LazioImperial troops carried out a large-scale sack of Rome; churches, palaces, and homes were looted, many artworks destroyed, and residents suffered heavy casualties. The sack lasted months and is regarded as Rome's worst disaster since the Visigothic sack of 410 CE.
Sources
- Michael Mallett, The Italian Wars 1494–1559: War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe — Michael Mallett (2008)