Our Lady of GuadalupeThe image of the Virgin Mary seen by Juan Diego changed the world. About forty years after Mary's appearance to Diego, it is believed to mark a turning point in Western civilization. At that time, many copies of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe were circulating across Europe and one of them ended up in the hands of Admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. The King of Spain gave him this special copy. Three hundred Turkish ships blocked the Gulf of Lepanto and the admiral was given command of a squadron to go to the blockade. The Christian fleet, made up of around three hundred ships, was to confront the Turkish navy head on. However, the Turks outwitted the Christian forces. It is said that when this crucial hour was near, Doria entered her cabin to kneel and pray before the image of Guadalupe. As night fell, the direction of the battle began to change. One Turkish squadron was defeated and captured, causing the others to panic, which led to the destruction of the entire fleet. Fifteen thousand Christians reduced to slavery in the Turkish galleys were freed. This battle marked the end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the Western Mediterranean.1First appearanceIn 1531, ten years after the capture of Mexico, a poor Indian named Juan Diego left his home to attend divine service in early December. On the way, he passed the hill of Tepeyacac ​​(“Hill of the Nose”, in Nahuatl) and he heard beautiful music coming from the top of the hill. The music was divine; he heard the most beautiful songbirds singing softly and pleasantly. He wondered if he was worthy of hearing such beautiful music, and if perhaps it was a dream. He thought maybe he would have died and gone to heaven. Amidst the noise of the birds, Juan heard a voice coming from the top of the hill; however, that didn't scare him. In fact, he was strangely put at ease by that voice. He climbs the hill in search of the mysterious voice. When he reached the top of the hill, he saw a beautiful woman who seemed to shine like nothing he had ever seen before. She radiated like the sun, and the stones on which she stood were like precious stones under her feet. The foliage surrounding the magnificent woman was full of translucent colors that shimmered in the radiant light..