ABSTRACT
Elected emperor in 1519 and heir to a patrimony 'where the sun never sets', Charles V made a final attempt to realize the unity of Christendom, the old medieval dream which in the era of the affirmation of national monarchies seemed an insane undertaking and the manifestation of a quite unacceptable imperialism. In short, Charles V was accused of wanting to exercise his hegemony over Europe and of aspiring to create a universal monarchy. Attacked in turn by the Italian potentates, the kings of France and of England and by his own German vassals, he suffered a series of resounding failures and bore the consequences himself, surrendering all his powers in 1556 in order to withdraw to the monastery at Yuste in Castile. Bolstered by his inheritance and the imperial title, he had believed that Christendom when confronted with the Turkish menace would face up to the threat, immediately recover its unity and recognize at least the nominal authority of the emperor. He had, however, misjudged the spirit of the age, the determination of the Valois and the balance of power between France and Spain.
