The resignation of Emperor Charles V in preparation for a good death (Power politics and religion and Habsburg hegemony in 16th-century Europe)

The resignation of Emperor Charles V is a singular event in the history of Old Europe. In spite of the lack of his own testimony, the causes and motiv es of his relinquishment of power can be comparatively well arrived at: Bes ides age and illness, as well as the prospect of assuring Habsburg hegemony in Europe by means of the marriage of Philip to Mary Tudor, it was above a ll the failure of his religious and power politics - especially the permane nt recognition in 1555 of the Protestants within the Empire - that moved Ch arles V to abdicate. Widely unresearched by contrast is why the Emperor wit hdrew to die into the remoteness of Yuste. In view of the state of the sour ces, and in particular the lack of his own testimony, which could have give n information about the personal piety of Charles V and his attitude toward his own death, we can only indirectly pin down the basis for his withdrawa l. The Emperor's motives are arrived at through an analysis of the course o f his death, of the prayers he preferred while dying, and of the meaning th at the painting of the Last Judgment (La Gloria) by Titian possessed for Ch arles V. Sources for these - other than Titians's painting - derive from th e eye-witness reports of a Jeronimite monk as well as from correspondence w ith members of the court. Among the findings are a recognition of the preco nfessional piety and religiosity of the Emperor as well as his anxiety abou t the Last Judgment and eternal damnation, and at the same time his hope fo r redemption. Charles V remained fully untouched by the Reformation's certa inty of grace. In order to save his soul, the Emperor consciously and with great care oriented himself by late medieval art-of-dying treatises. As pre requisites of a good death, these prescribed the relinquishment of worldly offices together with withdrawal from the world and dying within a circle o f clergy. That Charles V so conscientiously fulfilled these conditions by m eans of his withdrawal to Yuste documents the extent of his deep, preconfes sionally shaped devotion.