The Reformation as seen from Switzerland

Buying an indulgence reduced the number of years spent in purgatory. This trade was to generate considerable revenue, not only to finance the pomp of the popes' lives and the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but it also enriched the local churches. It was against this drift that Martin Luther rose up in protest, posting his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, which violently condemned this trade in indulgences.