The Pope's Legion
The Multinational Fighting Force that Defended the Vatican
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Charles A. Coulombe's The Pope's Legion tells the amazing adventures of the remarkable multinational force that rallied in defense of the Vatican during the ten-year war of Italian reunification.
With Arthurian grandeur the Papal Zouaves marched into Italy in the mid-nineteenth century, summoned by the Pope under siege as the Wars of the Risorgimento raged. Motivated by wanderlust, a sense of duty and the call of faith, some 20,000 Catholic men from around the world rallied to Vatican City to defend her gates against Sardinian marauders. Volunteers came from France, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Austria, and many other countries, including the United States. The battles that ensued lasted over 10 years, among a shifting array of allies and enemies and are among history's most fascinating yet largely overlooked episodes. Napoleon, Pius IX, and Bismarck all make appearances in the story, but at the center were the Zouaves--steeped in a knightly code of honor, and unflinching in battle as any modern warrior--as the Church they vowed to defend to the death teetered at the brink of destruction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With a makeup and passion reminiscent of the forces that fought the armies of Mordor in Tolkien's Return of the King, the Pontifical Zouaves occupy a little-known chapter in Catholic Church history. Coulombe (Vicars of Christ) tells their story in detail, claiming this is the first time it has been related in such depth in English. The Zouaves, who took their name and style of dress from Algerian tribesmen, came from four continents and at least 17 countries to fight a 10-year war that began with the Sardinian seizure of Romagna in 1860 and Pope Pius IX's decision to resist the emerging Italian nationalist movement. Although the Zouaves' quest ultimately failed, their history is replete with many heroic moments, and their deep spirituality later influenced Catholics in other military units. Coulombe acknowledges that few today treasure the Zouaves' memory because of a general disdain for Catholic militancy, but he is heartened by a recent revival of interest in their story. Military aficionados will enjoy this as much as readers attracted by the Zouaves' connection to Catholic history.
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