Sack of Rome

Although some scholars believe Emperor Charles V was responsible for the sacking of Rome in 1527, this connection cannot be firmly established. Previously, Charles V had been loyal to the papacy, but due to the work of Martin Luther the German Princes were becoming more persuaded toward Protestantism and began resisting the Emperor's authority. Because of the Protestant sympathies in Germany, Charles V could not find much support from the papacy. The Emperor was fighting to keep his lands together and the pope was trying to keep the Church together. As a result, the relationship between Pope Clement VII and Emperor Charles V was shaky at best.

In any case, Rome was attacked on May 6, 1527, and there was complete chaos for more than a week. During that time, Rome, the "Eternal City," was ruled by anarchy and barbarism.

Due to the poor relations between the Emperor and the pope, Charles V was blamed for the attack. He quickly absolved himself from any involvement, but Clement VII and Charles V continued to struggle until the popes' death. However, the new pope, Paul III, took more strides to achieve unity with the emperor.