Introductions

Abstract

Since there is no modern account of the sack of Rome in English it might seem that there is no need for an apology on behalf of such a book; and, indeed, this introduction is intended largely as an explanation of my purposes and methods. Much of the research was undertaken in preparing a dissertation which was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. My intention at that time was to explore the impact of the sack of Rome on Italy in order to discover, for my own satisfaction, how much the different states into which Italy was divided — Venice, Florence, Milan, Naples, the Church State, Siena, Lucca, Piombino, Mantua, Ferrara, Montferrat, etc. — had in common. Ultimately my interest was in the idea of Italy. Some of this interest is, inevitably and, no doubt, properly, reflected in this book but I have tried not to let it obtrude too much into a description of what happened within Italy between 1525 and 1530.