Why Voltaire Said the Holy Roman Empire Was Neither Holy Nor Roman Nor an Empire

From The Collector

Voltaire called the Holy Roman Empire “neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.” Was he right? We put this iconic insult to the historical test.

The 18th-century French philosopher François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, had a reputation for making ironic and pithy comments about the world around him. In his 1756 book An Essay on Universal History, the Manners, and Spirit of Nations, Voltaire famously quipped that “the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.” To what extent was Voltaire’s observation a truthful description of the Holy Roman Empire?