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Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor)

Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor)

1500 CE1558 CE · Ghent (Flanders)

Charles V, of the House of Habsburg, ruled one of the largest empires in history, combining Spain, the Netherlands, much of Italy and central Europe, and Spain's new American territories. Elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, he confronted the spread of the Protestant Reformation, the rivalry of France, and the advance of the Ottoman Empire. Unable to restore religious unity, he accepted a settlement in Germany and, exhausted, abdicated his crowns between 1555 and 1556. He retired to a monastery and died in 1558.

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Stop 1 of 61500Heir Of Burgundy, Habsburg, And Spain

Ghent (Flanders)

What they did here

Charles was born in Ghent on 24 February 1500, heir through his grandparents to the Burgundian Netherlands, the Habsburg lands, and the crowns of Spain.

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