Coronation of Charles V

This moment of extreme conflict between Papacy and Empire lead to intense diplomatic activity during 1529, a rapprochement of the adversary parties formalised in the Treaty of Barcelona, which paved the way to their meeting in Bologna.

Clement VII arrived in Bologna on October 20, 1529, crossing the lands of his state: official sources of the time wrote that the Pope was splendidly received, but not without reservations from the populace, due to the taxes he imposed to mount a crusade against the Turks.

The choice of place fell on the Basilica of San Petronio, the largest and most spacious religious building, deeply rooted in the tradition of the city of Bologna.

";[3] in the church chapels and tribunes had been built in the likeness of St. Peter's in the Vatican, richly decorated; the city was fortified for security reasons; Piazza Maggiore and the doors were closed by Antonio de Leyva and his soldiers armed to protect Charles V. The Mass was long and solemn and the Emperor knelt before the Pope after having pronounced the ritual formulas, received the golden crown, in the presence of the representatives of all the Italian states and a considerable part of the peninsula's aristocracy: " ... the Pope gave the emperor the insignia of the emperor, gave him the golden sceptre all worked on top with which he religiously commanded the nations, the naked sword with which he persecuted the enemies of the name of Christ, the golden apple to signify the world he would reign with singular piety, virtue and constancy, and finally he put on his head the imperial crown, and knelt as he was, his foot set, and worshiped.

In the Piazza awaited Antonio de Leyva with a lot of cavalry and armed infantry, who, hearing shouting that the Emperor was crowned "Viva Carlo V Imperatore Invittissimo", had all the big bombards shot ".

The two sovereigns rode under a single canopy followed by magnates, magistrates and lawyers with their respective banners, the governor of Bologna, four chaplains of the pope, ambassadors of various states, various princes, dukes, marquises and counts, the college of cardinals, various prelates and German and Spanish soldiers led by their general captain.