Reading Notes

The Christians kept Malta but lost Cyprus in the Ottoman-Venetian war.  How the hell did Venice still control Cyprus in the 1570's?  Suleiman had died and Selim II was in charge of the Ottomans at this point.  Much like the siege of Rhodes the Ottomans were just too much for the island population (especially when the Holy League AKA Phillip II dragged their feet again) and after 11 months the two sides reached an agreement on surrender.  However, unlike the Knights Hospitaller who were allowed to leave under Ottoman protectorate back to Italy, the Venetian leader Marco Antonio Bragadin was not so lucky.

 

The Ottomans first took the town of Nicosia and followed up with the 11 month siege of Famagusta.  Here is a sweet picture of Nicosia:

I can only assume the Battle of Lepanto (in the Gulf of Corinth) is to come which should be good for the Christians.  

Me - Hey Bragadin, you became a Martyr and a hero, how do you feel?

Bragadin - Well... Those two weeks with the festering wounds from my cut off ears and nose weren't very sweet.  Didn't really enjoy being dragged around the walls of the town with bags of dirt and rocks on my back.  Being hoisted up to the yard arm of a Turkish ship and taunted by solders was less than ideal.  None of it was as bad as being tied naked to a column in the center of the city and being flayed alive.  I hear that I was then drawn and quartered only to be put back together and stuffed.  They put me on an ox and marched me around the city.  Then they sent me to the Sultan as a trophy.  But when they brought me back to Italy almost a decade later I was a hero.  Yeah, I guess that makes up for the Venetians not coming to my aid.  Totally square guys.