Rome (Chaos)

Although Rome had lost most of its million-people population it had had as the capital of the Roman Empire, it still played an important part in, being the seat of the pope. Unfortunately, the French kings even took this prestige from Rome, since forced the pope to take seat in  in 1309. There was some resistance in Rome to this move, and the emperors of helped - like, who was crowned Emperor in Rome - not by the pope, but by the head of the mighty Colonna family.

In 1370, the pope Clemens VII agreed after diplomatic pressure (and because the growing unrest in even endangered the ) to return to Rome. The Great Reform 1401-07 also explicitly stated that the pope had to stay in Rome (the Italians had insisted particularly on that).

But when the threatened the Papal States 1459-61, the helpless pope fled to Avignon again. 1466, the infamous happened. - sent troops to Italy to fight for the pope; but 1472, after lots of fighting, the Seljuks kept Latium, calling themselves from now on "rulers of both Romes". (Despite the fact that the sultan was disappointed how insignificant Rome has become.) The eastern parts of the Papal States became the Duchy/Protectorate of the, theoretically still under the pope, de facto under the duke of Alba (Castille). Although noone said it loud, the pope and the other church leaders were quite content in Avignon and didn't care that much about Rome anymore. Many people criticized the pope and the Catholic church for it, and this may have lead to the.

Returning pilgrims spread the news that Rome was conquered by the infidels. Many sects believed that the end of time was near (the date of 1500 was often mentioned). At first the war gave them hope that Rome could be reconquered, but when Castille-Portugal gave up Rome in 1472, they became desperate. Unrest spread in many European countries.

Under Seljuk rule
1542, a great uprising of the Carbonari happened in South Italy, which soon spread to Rome itself. used the opportunity and invaded Latium. Many volunteers went to Italy to fight against the Seljuks; some pious nobles, mainly from Castille and Portugal, supported Florence with money. In 1543, Florentine troops stood in Naples and the Marches. Now however, the main army of the Seljuks arrived, and the Florentine army was defeated several times. The chaos allowed many carbonari to leave South Italy and flee to safer places, however. But in 1544 the Seljuks again took control. The people of Rome had to leave their city, which the sultan wanted to settle anew with Muslims. Some of them even went to, but others swore to retake Rome ASAP.

Liberation
1556, declared war on the Seljuks, enraged over the fate of Rome. and Florence joined the war. In 1559, Rome was reconquered by Christians; all the Muslims found there were massacred. In the 1565 the Seljuks gave up Latium to Florence. The victorious Italians demanded that the Pope should return to Rome, which the French king denied. But there also was another problem: Who should govern liberated Rome? At the end, the compromise was made that Florence would administrate Latium, although it'd formally stay under the pope. But the idea that Rome should become capital of a united was there now.