SACK OF ROME

The Sack of Rome was a terrible story, caused by the conflict, for domination over Europe, between Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and Francis I of Valois, King of France.

The troops of Charles V amounted to about 40 000 men, including 14,000 Landsknecht, they penetrated in Rome with great losses. When it seemed that the same Pope Clement VII dé Medici were taken prisoner, the 148 men of the Swiss Guard sacrificed themselves to allow the Pope to leave St. Peter and repair within Castel Sant'Angelo.

Rome was abandoned to pillage, everything and everyone was desecrated, the Prince of Orange, leader of the imperial troops, three days after ordered to stop the looting, but the Landsknechts did not stop until it remained something to steal.

Meanwhile, Clement VII retired to Orvieto.

The offense brought to the Catholic Church led Charles V, who had big problems with the Lutherans, to send an embassy to the Pope groped for the reconciliation, that took place in 1529 confirmed by the Peace of Barcelona.

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