Editing Pope Clement VII (section)

===Continental and Medici politics===
[[File:Giuliano Bugiardini - Ritratto di papa Clemente VII.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Clement VII by [[Giuliano Bugiardini]] (c. 1532)]]
[[Francis I of France]]'s conquest of Milan in 1524, during his [[Italian campaign of 1524–1525]], prompted the Pope to quit the [[Holy Roman Empire|Imperial]]–Spanish side and to ally himself with other Italian princes, including the [[Republic of Venice]], and France through a treaty of January 1525. This treaty granted the definitive acquisition of [[Parma]] and [[Piacenza]] for the [[Papal States]], the rule of Medici over Florence and the free passage of the French troops to [[Naples]]. This policy in itself was sound and patriotic, but Clement VII's zeal soon cooled; by his want of foresight and unseasonable economy, he laid himself open to an attack from the turbulent Roman barons, which obliged him to invoke the mediation of the emperor, Charles V.{{cn|date=October 2024}} One month later, Francis I was crushed and imprisoned in the [[Battle of Pavia]], and Clement VII went deeper in his former engagements with Charles V, signing an alliance with the [[Charles de Lannoy|viceroy of Naples]].

But deeply concerned about Imperial arrogance, he was to pick up with France again when Francis I was freed after the [[Treaty of Madrid (1526)]]: the Pope entered into the [[League of Cognac]] together with France, Venice, and [[Francesco II Sforza]] of [[Duchy of Milan|Milan]]. Clement VII issued an invective against Charles V, who in reply defined him a "wolf" instead of a "shepherd", menacing the summoning of a council about the [[Lutheran]] question.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Like his cousin Pope Leo X, Clement was considered too generous to his Medici relatives, draining the Vatican treasuries. This included the assignment of positions all the way up to Cardinal, lands, titles, and money. These actions prompted reform measures after Clement's death to help prevent such excessive nepotism.<ref name="Tomas">{{cite book | last=Tomas | first=Natalie R. | title=The Medici Women: Gender and Power in Renaissance Florence | publisher=Ashgate | location=Aldershot | year=2003 | isbn=978-0754607779 | pages=126–127}}</ref>