Rome Is Sacked
The sack of Rome on May 6, 1527, was a pivotal and devastating event in the city's history, marked by the invasion of a large army primarily composed of German mercenaries. This incident occurred during a period of significant papal weakness under Pope Clement VII, who was unable to mount an effective defense or secure assistance from other European powers. The invasion was exacerbated by the political landscape of the time, including the strained finances of King Francis I of France and the discontent among the Duke of Bourbon’s troops, which led to a breakdown of order.
As the mercenaries moved southward, they aimed at the treasures of Rome, overwhelming its defenses and entering the city amidst chaos. The violence that ensued resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, widespread looting, and destruction. Pope Clement VII sought refuge in the Castel Sant'Angelo while the mercenary forces, losing control, pillaged the city for months. This event not only highlighted the vulnerabilities of the papacy but also led to a significant shift in the political and social landscape of Rome, leaving a lasting impact on its populace and history.
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Rome Is Sacked
Rome Is Sacked
The ancient city of Rome, Italy, has been invaded and looted many times during its long history. One of the most notorious of these incidents took place on May 6, 1527, when a large army consisting mostly of German mercenaries entered Rome and sacked the city, killing thousands of people in the process.
The 1527 sack of Rome was largely due to the weakness of the papacy under Pope Clement VII, who controlled Rome and the surrounding territories, as well as to the failure of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to control his forces in northern Italy. King Francis I of France had appointed Charles, Duke of Bourbon, to the post of constable of France or commander of the French armies. Because Francis was constantly short of funds to finance his wars in Italy, the duke was forced to pay many expenses out of his own pocket. One of the most important of these expenses were the wages due to the professional mercenary soldiers who made up a significant portion of his forces, a fairly common situation in European armies during that era. The duke defected to Charles V, who rewarded him with the governorship of the northern Italian city of Milan. However, Charles V also could not afford to maintain the duke's armies in Italy, which led to considerable discontent within those forces. The soldiers began looting local towns and the duke quickly lost control of the situation. Eyeing Rome, filled with centuries worth of gold and other treasures, the mercenaries began to move south from Milan. The pope tried without success to pay them to stop. He was also unsuccessful in securing any military assistance from other European rulers or in raising a significant army to resist them.
When the duke's army reached the city, the duke was virtually its prisoner. After he was killed during the early fighting, the soldiers ran amok, pillaging the city and slaughtering civilians. Pope Clement took refuge in a fortress called the Castel Sant'Angelo. The violence lasted for months, and many powerful local Roman clans participated in it as an opportunity to gather booty for themselves and to kill their various enemies. Only after virtually all of the population had fled or been killed did the invaders leave.