Inigo de Loyola was born in 1941in Azpeitia located in northern Spain. Ignatius was the youngest of thirteen. When he turned sixteen he was sent to serve the treasurer of Castile, Juan Velazquez, as a page. Because of his frequent presence in the court, Ignatius acquired the liking of whatever went on. He was addicted to women and gambling. Ignatius dressed up as a fighting man with a coat of mail and breastplate. He also carried a sword and may other types of weapons.
At the age of thirty he was an officer defending the fortress of the town of Pamplona against the French. The Spaniards were incredibly outnumbered and the commander of the Spanish forces wanted to surrender but Ignatius convinced to continue fighting for the honor of Spain. During the battle a cannon ball hit Ignatius, breaking one leg and wounding the other. French soldiers that admired his courage, took him back to recuperate at home in the castle of Loyola instead of prison.
Ignatius Loyola
Birth place and sanctuary of Saint Ignatius of Loy...
St. Ignatius of LoyolaHis leg was set but it didn't heal so they broke it again reset it.
On the 29th of June his leg healed, nut the bone protruded below the knee and that made one leg linger than the other. Ignatius didn't like this and considered worse than death. He asked the doctors to saw off the protruding bone and lengthen his leg by systematic stretching. But it was not successful and for the rest of his life one leg was longer than the other and he walked with a limp.
During his long recuperation his extreme boredom led him to read books to pass the time. He asked for romance novels but there were none available. Because he was so desperate he began to read books about the life of Christ and...