Overview
The looting of Rome in 1527 was the result of a rivalry between France and Spain over territory. In 1521, the first in a series of wars broke out between the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who ruled Spain's lands as Charles I, and Francis I of France over rival claims for territory. Charles's troops looted Rome in 1527 and later took Milan and Sicily from France. By 1559, almost all of Italy was under the influence of Spain.