Charles V

1500 – 1558

Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556 and King of Spain from 1516 to 1556, presiding over the largest European empire since Charlemagne. His reign coincided with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires under Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, the destruction of millions of Indigenous lives, and the founding of the transatlantic slave trade between Spanish America and Africa. In 1527 his unpaid armies sacked Rome itself, killing thousands and capturing Pope Clement VII.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM