Marcantonio Colonna

Marcantonio II Colonna (sometimes spelled Marc'Antonio; 1535 – August 1, 1584), Duke and Prince of Paliano and Duke of Tagliacozzo, was an Italian aristocrat and military commander who served as Viceroy of Sicily under the Spanish Crown, general of the Spanish forces, and Captain General of the Church.

He is best remembered for his role as admiral of the Papal fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. He was described as "one of the most illustrious land and sea captains of the 16th century."

Marcantonio Colonna, born in 1535 at Civita Lavinia, was a member of the noble Colonna family of the Lazio, then one of the most powerful feudal dynasties of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Sicily, which was under Spanish rule. His parents were Ascanio Colonna, Duke of Tagliacozzo, and Giovanna d'Aragona.

Due to acts of rebellion, he was disinherited by his father; but in 1562 Colonna was able to regain the family fiefs for himself, largely thanks to the support of Pope Pius IV. However, he had to forfeit several possessions, such as Nemi, Ardea, and Civita Lavinia, due his father, Ascanio, having left little money.

In 1553–1554, during the war against Siena, Colonna was made commander of the Spanish cavalry. Colonna often stayed at Avezzano, where in 1565 he expanded the castle by adding a new floor. He also had a fountain built as well as creating a loggia by the Fucine Lake. The castle was later converted into a fortified palace with a moat and drawbridge.

In 1571, Don John of Austria appointed him captain-general of the allied fleet against the Moors. At the Battle of Lepanto (7 October 1571), he commanded the papal Capitana (flagship) as part of the Centre division, where he rescued the Real, flagship of commander Don John of Austria. When the Real was almost taken by the Ottoman janissaries, Colonna came alongside, with the bow of his galley and mounted a counter-attack. With the help of Colonna, the Turks were pushed off the Real and the Ottoman flagship of Ali Pasha was boarded and swept. The entire crew of Ali Pasha's flagship was killed, including the commander himself. The banner of the Holy League was hoisted on the captured ship, breaking the morale of the Turkish galleys nearby.

On his return to Rome, Pope Gregory XIII confirmed Colonna as Captain General of the Church.

In 1577, King Philip II appointed him Viceroy of Sicily. He also held the title of Lord of Marino, then a small village a few miles south of Rome, where the inhabitants honoured him with a grand annual celebration. The tradition survives today as the "Sagra dell'Uva".