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Italy was divided politically but the peoples of Italy had a distinct sense of being part of an Italian society and culture. They resented any foreign interference in their country. In the 16th century, many Italians hated the fact that their country had been turned into a battleground mainly by foreign armies. The fact that Protestantism was something foreign and alien meant that the Italians population from all levels of society rejected it- they . They saw it as something that was un-Italian. It has been often stated that many Italians rejected Protestantism because of the Sack of Rome in 1527. The Imperial Army after defeating a French army mutinied and many of the soldiers were German Lutherans. They besieged Rome and later captured it and for several months occupied it and committed many atrocities. The Lutheran soldiers openly mocked the Papacy and the sacraments of the Catholic Church.<ref> Konstam, Angus. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1855325047/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1855325047&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c61e74bf6eadc15c9eb3170185cbbc85 Pavia 1525: The Climax of the Italian Wars]</i> (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1996), p. 189</ref>  The Sack of Rome shocked Italy and for many Italians, they associated Protestantism with terror and atrocities. Many Italians , while unhappy with the Papacy and the institutions of the Church , remained devoted to their own brand of Catholicism. In Italy, there had developed many variations of Catholicism, based on the worship of local saints and festivals. Local religion in Italy was often a mixture of Christianity and remnants of paganism. Many Italians were very much attached to their local variant of Catholicism and they had little time for the austere beliefs of Protestantism. Many ordinary Italians believed that the local rituals and rites catered for to their spiritual needs.<ref> Caponetto, p. 134</ref>