Marcantonio Colonna

Marcantonio Colonna ( born February 26, 1535 Civita Lavinia; † August 1, 1584 in Medinaceli ) was an Admiral and Viceroy of Sicily from the Italian noble family of Colonna.

He entered, banished from Rome by Pope Pius IV, in Spanish services, and opened under Alba's command in 1556 the operations against the Papal States with so much success that they called him back to Rome. Pius V. entrusted him with the 1571 equipped expedition against the Turks, which united with the Spanish under Juan de Austria. He helped the victory at the Battle of Lepanto erfechten and received on his return a celebrated in ancient Roman triumphal way. Then he managed Sicily as a Spanish viceroy and was about to take over the command of the Armada, when he died in Medinaceli on 1 August 1584. While he reigned in Sicily, he fell in love with the married Baroness Eufrosia Siracusa Valdaura, wife of Calcerano Corbera. He let her father and the husband murdered. This story is by several writers - have been immortalized - including Leonardo Sciascia.