[28] These supposed visits to Genoa and Venice are very doubtful. [29] On this point cf. Ruge, _Geschichte des Zeitalters der Entdeckungen_, p. 458 ff. [30] The madness of Joanna has been denied by Bergenroth, _State Papers_, London 1868, supplement to vol. i. II. But cf. Gachard, _Sur Jeanne La Folle_, Brussels, 1869; Rösler, _Johanna die Wahnsinnige_, Vienna, 1870; Ranke, _Latin and Teutonic Nations_, Bk. II. ch. ii., note. [31] Isabella had left Castile to Joanna, and after her to Charles, and Ferdinand did the same with Aragon. But Ximenes proclaimed Charles king conjointly with his mother; and her madness made Charles practically sole king. [32] On election he assumed the title ‘The King of the Romans.’ But coronation by the Pope was then held necessary for the assumption of the title ‘Holy Roman Emperor.’ Frederick III. was, however, the last Emperor crowned at Rome; Maximilian in 1508, assumed the title of ‘Roman Emperor elect’ with the assent of the Pope; and after Charles V., who was crowned at Bologna (1529), no Emperor sought for coronation from the Pope. [33] Besides the Princes who enjoyed an individual vote (_Virilstimme_), there were three collective votes (_Curiatstimmen_)--that of the Prelates who were not princes, and those of the Suabian and Wetterabian Graves and Barons. [34] Cf. _Cambridge Mod. Hist._, vol. i. 299 ff. [35] This is the usual interpretation. But Ottokar Lorenz, _Deutschland Geschichtsquellen im Mittelalter_, ii. 280, reminds us that this solution is not found in the Emperor’s ‘Diary.’ Cf. _Kollarii Analecta Monumentorum Vindobonensia_, ii. p. 675. [36] The Aulic Council was also to act as a supreme administrative body. [37] The idea of dividing Germany into circles dates from the reign of Albert II. The four then instituted were now increased to ten-- 1. Franconia. 2. Suabia, including the Duchy of Wurtemberg, the Margraviate of Baden, and 32 imperial cities. 3. Bavaria, with the Archbishopric of Salzburg. 4. The Upper Rhine, including Lorraine. 5. Lower Rhine, composed of the three Ecclesiastical Electorates. 6. Westphalia, Julich, Cleves, Berg, the County of Oldenburg, and numerous Bishoprics. 7. Upper Saxony, formed of the Duchies of Saxony, and Pomerania, the Margraviate of Brandenburg. 8. Lower Saxony, composed of the Duchies of Brunswick, Luneburg, and Holstein (held by the King of Denmark), Mecklenburg, the Archbishoprics of Magdeburg and Bremen, and the towns of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Goslar. 9. Austria. 10. Burgundy, including the Netherlands and Franche-Comté. N.B.--Bohemia did not form part of any circle.