The Visigoths, led by King Alaric, entered and plundered Rome, on August 24, 410 AD, marking the first time the city fell to invaders in over 800 years.
As Christians, the Visigoths, largely respected the sanctuary of churches, particularly St. Peter and St. Paul, where many Romans found refuge and damage to other buildings was relatively limited as they targeted the homes of the wealthy and took significant valuables, however the reputational blow to the Roman Empire was massive.
