On this day, May 19, 1571, Marcantonio Bragadino, defender of Famagusta with 5,000 soldiers, successfully repelled a major attack by tens of thousands of Ottoman troops led by Lala Mustafa against Famagusta.

On this day, May 19, 1571, Marcantonio Bragadino, defender of Famagusta with 5,000 soldiers, successfully repelled a major attack by tens of thousands of Ottoman troops led by Lala Mustafa against Famagusta.

As the situation in Famagusta grew increasingly dire, Marcantonio Bragadino ordered, on April 16, 1571, a general census of the population and a survey of supplies in all homes; 5. 370 people of all ages and genders who were found in the city against their will were ordered, rather belatedly, to leave it unarmed with all their belongings and enough wheat and flour for a single day. During their departure, which was supervised by Bragadino himself from the Diamante Tower, surprisingly and contrary to what they had done in Corfu in 1537, the Ottoman Turks did not harass them and allowed them to scatter to the surrounding villages.

Marcantonio Bragadino’s headquarters were located in the Androuzi Tower, from where, on May 19, he directed the successful repulsion of a major enemy attack; the army and its leadership were stationed on the walls, because the interior of the city was being fiercely pounded day and night by Turkish artillery, especially the howitzers. Despite all this and despite the gradual undermining of the walls by the Armenians and the villagers, on May 25 Lala Mustafa Pasha found himself in a difficult position, even though he had ample supplies, due to the appalling losses suffered by his army from the superhumanly brave resistance of the besieged, which filled the Turks with admiration, and rumors that the Christian fleet was on its way to Cyprus.