Pope Pius II, the 210th pope of the Catholic Church, has passed away. Pope Pius II died at a crucial time when preparations were underway for a crusade by European countries against the Ottoman invaders. In November 1463, he announced the beginning of this crusade, with the crusading armies gathering on the shores of Italy to confront the Turks. That same year, a Treaty of Friendship and Alliance in the war against the Turkish invaders was concluded between Gjergj Kastrioti (Skënderbeu) and Venice. While Venice and Hungary established a military alliance, Skënderbeu reconciled with the Dukagjins, and they became close allies. All these events, along with the encouragement and pressure exerted by the Pope and Venice, compelled Gjergj Kastrioti to break the Peace Agreement with Mehmet II in April 1463 and to stand in solidarity with the crusade, conducting a series of military actions against Turkish possessions. With the death of Pope Pius II, Skënderbeu’s hope of linking the Albanian resistance with the struggle of the European peoples was dashed, contributing to the failure of the crusade. As a result of this failure, the Albanians were left to face the Turkish threat alone, standing as the only barricade in defense of European civilization. (In the photo: Pope Pius II)
Text: Center of Studies and Publications for Arbëresh
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piu_II
Graphic processing: AHCF
