Charles V's Own Unpaid Troops Sack Rome
Mutinous soldiers meant only to pressure the Pope instead loot, burn, and hold Rome hostage for months, ending the Italian High Renaissance
Quick facts
- Date
- 6 May 1527
- Forces responsible
- Unpaid troops loyal to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
- Pope
- Clement VII, who fled to the Castel Sant'Angelo
- Destruction
- About two-thirds of Rome burned
What happened
Pope Clement VII allied with France against Charles V despite having already been defeated once by Spanish forces at Pavia in 1525, and to save money he had dismissed most of Rome's troops. In 1527, Charles V lacked funds to pay his Spanish troops and German mercenaries in Italy; defying their commanders, the unpaid army marched south intending to sack Florence and Rome, robbing and killing as it advanced. On 6 May 1527, under cover of fog, the army broke through Rome's defenses. Two thousand Swiss guards died protecting Clement, who escaped to the Castel Sant'Angelo while Charles's mercenaries looted, tortured, and killed for months, burning roughly two-thirds of the city and holding cardinals and nobles for ransom. They were barely dissuaded from torching the Vatican Library or destroying the Sistine Chapel. The invaders only left when disease began killing them.
Why it matters
Clement was forced to crown Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor and to refuse Henry VIII's request to annul his marriage to Charles's aunt Catherine of Aragon, a refusal that pushed Henry to break from the Catholic Church entirely. Historians commonly treat the sack as the event that ended the Italian High Renaissance, since many of Rome's artists and patrons fled or died in the destruction.
How we know
Christian History Institute's account of the sack, drawn from contemporary chronicles of the siege, gives the 6 May 1527 date, the role of Charles V's unpaid mercenaries, and the political fallout including Henry VIII's later break with Rome.
Sources
- Christian History Institute. Rampaging Army Sacked Rome and Held the Pope Hostage · Reputable sourcechristianhistoryinstitute.org · The domain "christianhistoryinstitute.org" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- World History Encyclopedia. Schmalkaldic War · Reputable sourceworldhistory.org · The domain "worldhistory.org" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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