for him on account of his singular holiness and zeal, I judged that no more fitting Pontiff than he could be found to rule the Christian commonwealth wisely and well. I therefore took up his cause with all my might; and with little delay he was elected Pope to the great satisfaction of all. Nothing could be so great a consolation to me in my grief for my uncle, as the certainty that he is succeeded by one who possesses all the qualities that your Eminence sympathizes with me in lamenting, and who with equal courage and strength of soul will know how to maintain and uphold the authority of religion Within two hours, they had sufficient votes to elect Ghislieri. It was 7 January 1566. That afternoon, the Cardinals assembled and took a vote; two cardinals voted from their sickbeds. The votes were not by secret ballot, but out loud. Ghislieri was elected unanimously and took the name Pius V. Borromeo and Farnese had made a pope. By 1569, the Cardinal was Legatus perpetuus (Permanent legate) of the Province of the Patrimony of St. Peter, resident in Viterbo. This is recorded on the inscription of a new town gate. In 1569, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese made his journey to Sicily, to inspect his Archdiocese of Monreale. Transportation was provided by four galleys lent by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. At Monreale, he conducted a diocesan synod. He resigned the diocese on 9 December 1573. On 7 October 1571, the Battle of Lepanto took place in the Gulf of Corinth. The Christian fleet, commanded by King Philip II's half-brother, Don John of Austria, inflicted a decisive defeat on the Ottoman Turks, destroying all but thirty of its ships. Cardinal Farnese was on the docks at Civitavecchia to welcome home the hero, his brother's brother-in-law. Conclave of 1572 One of the determining factors in the minds of the electors was the recent Battle of Lepanto (7 October 1571). It had been a stunning defeat for the Ottoman Turks, the first naval defeat in more than a century, and nearly their entire navy was destroyed. But they did not lose control over the Eastern Mediterranean, and they were already rebuilding their navy at lightning speed. In some people's minds, what was needed was a pope who could hold the various forces together: a Crusading pope who would also be generous with