Our Lady of Victory Our Lady of the Rosary

our lady of victory

in 1571, pope st. pius v organized coalition of forces spain , smaller christian kingdoms, republics , military orders, rescue christian outposts in cyprus, particularly venetian outpost @ famagusta which, however, surrendered after long siege on august 1 before christian forces set sail. on october 7, 1571, holy league, coalition of southern european catholic maritime states, sailed messina, sicily, , met powerful ottoman fleet in battle of lepanto. knowing christian forces @ distinct materiel disadvantage, holy pontiff, pope pius v, called of europe pray rosary victory, , led rosary procession in rome.

after 5 hours of fighting on northern edge of gulf of corinth, off western greece, combined navies of papal states, venice , spain managed stop ottoman navy, slowing ottoman advance west , denying them access atlantic ocean , americas. if ottomans had won there real possibility invasion of italy have followed ottoman sultan, claiming emperor of romans, have been in possession of both new , old rome. combined unfolding events in morocco sa’adids spurned ottoman advances, confined turkish naval power eastern mediterranean. although ottoman empire able build more ships, never recovered loss of trained sailors , marines, , never again mediterranean naval power had become century before when constantinople fell.