Prince Pietro Colonna who hus been appointed Governor of Rome 4s the second son of Prince Prospero duco di Rignano e di Caleata who himself was once Governor of the City in which both he and his son were] born, It has been said that the history of Rome is the history of the Colonna family which is the frst of all the Roman houses in importance and the most ancient after the. Gaetani di Sermoneta, The pedigree begins with Pietro, lord of Columna, Palestrina and Paliano who was the brother of Pope Benedict IX and lived in the beginning of the 12th century. 'Tradition hes it that the popes Mavcellinus, Sixtus IIf, Stephen and Adrian' III were earlier members of the house, but Pietro 1s Kenerally accepted as' the first an-cester, The Colonna, as Counts of Tusculum, became very powerful and turbulent, even challenging the papal power fi self and its feuds with the Orsinl and Gaetani were famous in medieval Rome. In the war of 1522 between France In the Battle of Lepanto which fought in 1571 and was the last encounter between fleets of galleys—as well as the last " crusade—Mare Antonio Colonna greatly distinguished himself at. the head of the papal contingent in the international force raised in the name of the Holy League for the defence of Christendom against the Turks. That battle gave Turkish power in the Eastern Mediterranean {ts quietus and its casualties were enormous, 20,000 being Killed on the 'Turks' side and 9000 among the forees of the Holy League. The League numbered among its defenders representatives of all. the noble houses of Italy and Spain. Cervantes is said to have been wounded in the battle and England's Sir Richard Grenville—later of "Revenge" fame—was also a volunteer. The new Governor of Rome a member of the oldest of the three lines of the Colonna. familys the Colonna di Paliano—and of the senior branch, the head of which slond the princes and dukes of Patiano.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.