# The Sack of Rome 1527: When the Eternal City Burned

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/the-sack-of-rome-1527-when-the-eternal-city-burned
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/the-sack-of-rome-1527-when-the-eternal-city-burned.md
Podcast: [The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683)
Published: 2026-06-30T13:33:52+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-story-of-italy/episode-0130.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-story-of-italy/episode-0130.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/episodes/the-sack-of-rome-1527-when-the-eternal-city-burned
Duration seconds: 391

## Resource

In 1527, the army of Emperor Charles V sacked Rome with a ferocity that shocked Europe. This episode follows the catastrophic events of the Sack of Rome — the mutinous troops of the Duke of Bourbon, the desperate defense of the Castel Sant'Angelo, and the months-long terror that followed. We explore how the Renaissance papacy of Clement VII, weakened by the League of Cognac and facing the might of Habsburg Spain, saw the city's cultural treasures looted, its clergy brutalized, and its population decimated. The sack marked the end of the High Renaissance and shifted the balance of power in Italy. Along the way, we touch on the German Landsknechte, the Swiss Guard's last stand, and the fate of artists like Benvenuto Cellini. A turning point that forever changed Rome and the course of modern Europe. #SackOfRome #1527 #CharlesV #ClementVII #Landsknechte #CastelSantAngelo #BenvenutoCellini #HabsburgValoisWars #BattleOfPavia #LeagueOfCognac #DukeOfBourbon #SwissGuard #Renaissance #Italy #RomanHistory #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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