In 1867, seventeen-year-old Giulio Watts-Russell was killed at the Battle of Mentana, becoming one of the first Englishmen to shed his blood for the Holy See in a fight against Italian nationalists and secularists during the Italian Risorgimento. The conflict, popularly dubbed the “Ninth Crusade” by the soldiers of the Pontifical Military between 1860 and 1870, was part of a broader struggle that ultimately led to the collapse of the Papal States.
Giulio (Julian in English) was one of over 10,000 Catholic men who joined the Papal Zouaves and answered Bl. Pope Pius IX's call to arms. His sacrifice helped contribute to the Papal force's victory, which bought the Papal States three more years of existence, until Rome fell to the Piedmontese in 1870, bringing an end to the Temporal Power.
He was remembered for his extraordinary piety, such as his practice of reciting a Hail Mary after every shot he fired for the poor souls who might perish, and for a prayer of his own composition: "Anima mia, anima mia, ama Dio e tira via" (My soul, my soul, be this thy song: love thy God, and speed along), which was adopted officially as a motto by the incoming Canadian Papal Zouave contingent in 1868. His memory spread quickly throughout the Papal Army and across England, inspiring a new wave of Papal Zouaves from the English-speaking world.
England's Last Crusader: Papal Zouave Giulio Watts-Russell is a republication from Papal Zouave International of Giulio Watts-Russell, Pontifical Zouave by Valerian Cardella, S.J. (1868) and Giulio Watts-Russell, Twenty-Seven Years after His Death: A Sequel to His Biography by Claud R. Lindsay (1895). The sequel was published in an effort to reignite the memory of and devotion to Giulio. This edition continues that mission, featuring an original introduction with updated research by Father Nicholas Schofield. Discover the story of a young Englishman who answered the call to become a nineteenth-century crusader and defender of the Faith.
Papal Zouave International is a historical society founded in 2023 to promote and preserve the history of the Papal Zouaves, primarily through social media, the publication of the Fidei et Virtuti Journal featuring original and republished articles, and the reprinting of out-of-print books.
