Marcantonio II Colonna

Marcantonio II Colonna (sometimes spelled Marc'Antonio; 1535 – August 1, 1584), Duke of Tagliacozzo and Duke and Prince of Paliano, was a Roman aristocrat who served as Viceroy of Sicily in the service of the Spanish Crown, general of the Spanish forces, and Captain General of the Church. He is best remembered for his part as the admiral of the Papal fleet in the Battle of Lepanto. He was "one of the most illustrious land and sea captains of the 16th century". Biography 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.