Don Juan of Austria: In Memoriam (+October 1, 1578)

Regensburg Goldenes Kreuz Hotel

 Pius V took a deep breath. "There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John," he said for the third time, and now he was speaking in his usual voice--or was he? Tall and erect, no longer trembling, he went on with the sacred words, to the end of the Mass..."

"You Eminences," the Pope said, "Your Excellencies. The Supreme Commander of the fleet of the Holy League will be Don Juan de Austria."

Louis de Wohl, The Last Crusader: A Novel about Don Juan of Austria, San Francisco: Ignatius, 1910, 406-407.


Juan of Austria was born in Regensburg from the Emperor's brief liaison with Barbara Blomberg (a singer) on 24 February 1547 (the same birthday as his father [24 February 1500]).

The plaque on that infamous house has a poem about the event.

In this old house, the so named and world renowned Lord Emperor Charles V often rested after long journeying, and one fine day kissed a virgin's mouth here.
From there was born a son like his father, Don Juan of Austria who destroyed the power of the Turk at the Battle of Lepanto.
May the Lord repay him at every moment both now and forever.

In diesem haus von alter Art
Hat offt geruet nach langer fahrt
Herr KAYSER CARL DER FÜNFFT genandt
In aller Welt gar wohl bekannt
Der hat auch hie zu gueter stundt
Geküsset einer jungfraw mundt

Dann draus erwuchs dem Vatter gleich
Der DON JUAN VON OESTERREICH
Der bei LEPANTO in der Schlacht
Vernichtet hat der Türckhen Macht
Der HERR vergellts ihm allezeit
So ietzt wie auch in Ewigkeit

Regensburg Lepanto Memorial

Turk Underfoot

The House where Don Juan was Born1 Tandlergasse, corner of Kramgasse and Tandlergasse

The original of the Regensburg statue is in Messina (below) where there is an annual municipal celebration in August to commemorate the embarking of Don Juan from there in the year 1571, commanding the Holy League fleet.

1572 Monument to Don Juan of Austria by Andrea Calamech, a sculptor from Tuscany; head of Ali Pacha, commander of the Ottoman Fleet at the Battle of Lepanto, under Don Juan's left foot and the point of his sword