Sack of Rome (1527)

Sack of Rome
Part of the War of the League of Cognac
The sack of Rome in 1527, by Johannes Lingelbach, 17th century (private collection).
Date 6 May 1527 Location Rome, Italy Result Successful sack, despite horrendous losses for The Imperial Landsknechts
Belligerents
Papal States	Empire of Charles V (mutinous): Holy Roman Empire Spain, Duchy of Guastalla
Commanders and leaders
Clement VII Kaspar Röist † Renzo da Ceri	Ferrante Gonzaga Charles de Bourbon † Philibert of Châlon (WIA)
Strength
5,000 Condottieri militia, 189 Swiss Guards	20,000
Casualties and losses
500 dead, wounded, or captured	15,000
45,000 civilians dead, wounded, or exiled

Empire of Charles V (mutinous):

The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome, then part of the Papal States. It marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between Charles and the League of Cognac (1526–1529)—the alliance of France, Milan, Venice, Florence and the Papacy.

Pope Clement VII had given his support to the Kingdom of France in an attempt to alter the balance of power in the region, and free the Papacy from dependency, i.e. a growing weakness to "Imperial domination" by the Holy Roman Empire (and the Habsburg dynasty).

The army of the Holy Roman Emperor defeated the French army in Italy, but funds were not available to pay the soldiers. The 34,000 Imperial troops mutinied and forced their commander, Charles III, Duke of Bourbon and Constable of France, to lead them towards Rome. Apart from some 6,000 Spaniards under the Duke, the army included some 14,000 Landsknechts under Georg von Frundsberg, some Italian infantry led by Fabrizio Maramaldo, the powerful Italian cardinal Pompeo Colonna and Luigi Gonzaga, and also some cavalry under command of Ferdinando Gonzaga and Philibert, Prince of Orange. Though Martin Luther himself was not in favor of it, some who considered themselves followers of Luther's Protestant movement viewed the Papal capital as a target for religious reasons, and shared with the soldiers a desire for the sack and pillage of a city that appeared to be an easy target. Numerous bandits, along with the League's deserters, joined the army during its march.

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