Charles had crossed the Alps without an army, received the Lombard crown in St. Ambrose Basilica, Milan, on January 5, 1355, and is crowned emperor at Rome by a cardinal in the April of the same year.

His sole object appears to have been to obtain the Imperial crown in peace, in accordance with a promise previously made to Pope Clement.

He only remains un the city for a few hours, in spite of the expressed wishes of the Roman people, and evinces no desire to recover already lost Italian jurisdictions.

Having virtually abandoned all the Imperial rights in Italy, the emperor re-crosses the Alps, pursued by the scornful words of Petrarch, but laden with considerable wealth.