The Battle of Lepanto (????????? in Greek, ?nebaht? in Turkish) took place on 7 October 1571 when a galley fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of the Republic of Venice, the Papacy (under Pope Pius V), Spain (including Naples, Sicily and Sardinia), the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, the Knights Hospitaller and others, decisively defeated the main fleet of Ottoman war galleys.
The five-hour battle was fought at the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece, where the Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina, on the morning of Sunday 7 October.[1] The battle gave the Holy League temporary control over the Mediterranean, protected Rome from invasion, and prevented the Ottomans from advancing into Europe. This was the last major naval battle to be fought solely between rowing vessels.
Those were brave days…
Today is also the festivity of the Virgin of the Rosary in remembrance of this battle.
The battle of Lepanto by Veronese.
Don Juan de Austria. Never forget.
