The Sack of Rome May 6, 1527

On 6 May 1527, Rome – the holy city, seat of the papacy and centre of the Christian world – was stormed, captured and devastated by an Imperial army initially led by Charles III, Duke of Bourbon-Montpensier. A city of immense wealth, filled with extraordinary works of art, magnificent palaces and imposing religious buildings, Rome was subjected to a brutal sack. Landsknechts, Spaniards and Italians inflicted terrible violence upon its inhabitants, accompanied by torture, looting and destruction. The predominantly Lutheran Landsknechts, in particular, regarded Rome as a new Babylon, a centre of vice and corruption deserving of punishment.

The Sack of Rome formed part of the long-running Italian Wars that devastated the Italian peninsula during the first decades of the sixteenth century. It was one of the most dramatic and tragic episodes of these conflicts, shocking contemporaries and leaving a lasting mark on the history of Rome and the papacy.

The sixth volume in Helion’s series on the Italian Wars, The Sack of Rome May 6, 1527 tells the story of these extraordinary events, drawing upon contemporary documents, eyewitness accounts and other historical sources to reconstruct the assault on the city and the forces involved.

The Sack of Rome May 6, 1527 will appeal to scholars and military history enthusiasts, as well as collectors of military miniatures, wargamers and historical reenactors. Massimo Predonzani’s colour plates provide detailed visual reconstructions of the soldiers and flags of the armies involved, including material not previously published.