Challenge: Spain becomes the (Holy?) Roman Empire

How could Spain (meaning post-union Castile and Aragon) either become the center of a consolidated Holy Roman Empire, or claim to be a new Roman Empire and adopt symbolism and architecture to support this claim?

Could Emperor Charles V have started this process?
 
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I have serious doubts about a post-Medieval pod that could leave a consolidated HRE, much less one ruled from Spain.
There is a reason Phillip II didn't get his father's HRE title, managing a massive transatlantic empire and the clusterf**k that was early modern Germany at the same time in an era when communication between the two took weeks at best was nigh-impossible.

Now as for the second option, I could see some kind of romantic roman movement in architecture and art and what not taking hold. And I guess if somehow the Austrian Hapsburgs went prostetant or someone else protestant manages to make themselves emperor the pope might just crown the Spainish king Roman Emperor to spite them. Don't expect any symbolism beyond what the otl HRE or very late Byzantines used though. People tend to not turn themselves into walking anachronisms on purpose.
 
I have serious doubts about a post-Medieval pod that could leave a consolidated HRE, much less one ruled from Spain.
There is a reason Phillip II didn't get his father's HRE title, managing a massive transatlantic empire and the clusterf**k that was early modern Germany at the same time in an era when communication between the two took weeks at best was nigh-impossible.

Now as for the second option, I could see some kind of romantic roman movement in architecture and art and what not taking hold. And I guess if somehow the Austrian Hapsburgs went prostetant or someone else protestant manages to make themselves emperor the pope might just crown the Spainish king Roman Emperor to spite them. Don't expect any symbolism beyond what the otl HRE or very late Byzantines used though. People tend to not turn themselves into walking anachronisms on purpose.


Well the second one does have some potential. Little known fact, Isabella and Ferdinand bought the rights to the title of Emperor of the Romans from one of the last Byzantine heirs, so a Habsburg, most likely either Charles V or Philip II, could decide to revive that old title and start using it. Plus the Spanish did control much of Italy so its not an impossible claim. How recognized it would be is questionable but it could happen.
 
Well the second one does have some potential. Little known fact, Isabella and Ferdinand bought the rights to the title of Emperor of the Romans from one of the last Byzantine heirs, so a Habsburg, most likely either Charles V or Philip II, could decide to revive that old title and start using it. Plus the Spanish did control much of Italy so its not an impossible claim. How recognized it would be is questionable but it could happen.

I would'nt call it most, plus Spain never controlled Rome itself, and IMO if they tried to assert the title of 'Emperor of the Romans' the Pope (and everyone else, including other claiming the title) would tell them to shut the fuck up.
 
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I would'nt call it most, plus Spain never controlled Rome itself, and IMO if they tried to assert the title of 'Emperor of the Romans' the Pope (and everyone else, uncluding other claiming the title) would tell them to shut the fuck up.

Actually, they did. When the Imperial army sacked Rome Charles V technically controlled the Eternal city, if only for a short while. Also, both the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine empire had long lost control of the city but continued to call themselves Roman Emperor/Emperor of the Romans. And Spain did control sections of the Western Roman Empire: parts of Italy, Tunis, the low countries, Spain itself, Algiers, later Portugal, and parts of modern France. So they didn't control all of the West but enough to make a claim.
 
If they manage to hold onto the Netherlands, they have at least as much "German" territory as the Austrians...and German electors might like an Emperor who keeps his capital the better part of a thousand miles from Cologne and is often kept busy with stuff half a world away.

Bruce
 
A possible flag for this scenario.

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