Sack of Rome (1527)
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The Sack of Rome, then part of the Papal States, followed the capture of Rome on 6 May 1527 by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, during the War of the League of Cognac. Charles V o
The sack of Rome in 1527, by Johannes Lingelbach, 17th century (private collection)
Sack of Rome. By Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
View of the Passetto di Borgo from Castel Sant'Angelo. St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican pictured in the background.
Sack of Rome. 6 May 1527. By Martin van Heemskerck (1527).
Swiss Guard
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The Pontifical Swiss Guard, also known as the Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard, is an armed force, guard of honour, and protective security unit, maintained by the Holy See to protect the Pope
Sack of Rome (1527)
…defended city and began looting, killing, and holding citizens for ransom without any restraint. Clement VII took refuge in Castel Sant'Angelo after the Swiss Guard were annihilated in a delaying rear guard action; he remained there until a ransom was paid to the pillagers. Benvenuto Cellini, eyewitness to the…
The conclave of Pius V, with Swiss Guard guarding the entrance, Codex Maggi, 1578
Swiss Guard, Jean Barbault
Armour for the Papal Guard of Gregory XIII, c. 1580s, in the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts
Barracks of the Pontifical Swiss Guard in Vatican City.