he defended Populonia against a Turkish sea-borne assault, receiving support from the Florentine cavalry. Papal Guard After serving as overseer of the fortresses for Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, Serbelloni's career was advanced when another of his cousins was elected Pope as Pius IV. In 1559 he was made Captain General of the Papal Guard, Governor of Borgo and overseer for all the fortresses of the Apostolic See; he was especially active in rebuilding Civitavecchia, touring the whole of the Papal States in his duty. After the Pope's death, he entered the service of Philip II of Spain, who employed him in the same capacity in the Spanish-held Kingdom of Naples. Serbelloni entered the ranks of Knights of Malta, sending troops to help break the Turkish siege and organizing naval raids against the Muslims. After receiving the title of Prior of Hungary, Serbelloni oversaw the reconstruction of the Maltese fortifications damaged or destroyed under the Turkish assault, and acted as middle-man between Jean de la Vallette, his order's Grand Master, and the viceroy of Sicily, don Garcia de Toledo. Dutch Revolt In 1567, Serbelloni followed the Spanish armies into Belgium under the Duke of Alva during the repression of the Dutch Revolt, being appointed twice as governor of Antwerp. He took part in the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and, two years later, he captured Tunis. The following year Ottoman forces under the command of Sinan Pasha besieged and eventually took Tunis; Serbelloni was humiliated, dragged by his beard to the conqueror to ask for mercy on his knees, and many of his surviving men were slain. He had then to physically work to restore the fortifications. Brought in Constantinople as an important prisoner, he was ransomed in 1575 by the Venetian ambassador Antonio Tiepolo under a prisoner of war exchange. He was thus able to return to Milan through Ragusa and Naples. His last military campaign was against the Flemish and Dutch rebels: he took part in the Spanish capture of Maastricht in 1578. Death He died at the age of seventy in his native Milan in January, 1580. References External links Condottieri di ventura: Gabrio Serbelloni Sardimpex: genealogies of Italian noble families - Serbelloni 1509 births 1580 deaths Military personnel from Milan Italian untitled nobility 16th-century condottieri Nobility from Milan