The shattering of Ignatius of Loyola’s leg in the Battle of Pamplona led to a prolonged
convalescence and an unexpected conversion, the impact of which has stretched across 500 years.
Five hundred years ago, Ignatius of Loyola was lying in bed at his childhood home, his leg shattered by a cannonball, wondering what comes next. A lower nobleman, the future saint had been preoccupied with court dalliances, vanity and glory; once, he was even cited for brawling. But the brutal injury he sustained at the Battle of Pamplona forced him to slow down and ultimately consider whether he was being called to follow a different path in life.