October 7, 1571: The Naval Battle of Nafpaktostranslated

The Naval Battle of Nafpaktos was one of the largest naval battles of all time, both for the number of ships involved and for the tactics applied. It took place on October 7, 1571 in the wider area of ​​Nafpaktos (then Lepanto), with opponents the Christian states of the West and the Ottoman Empire. It ended the same day, with a triumphant Western victory. The dominance of the Ottomans in the Mediterranean after the conquest of Cyprus (1571) fueled their expansionist moods to the detriment. The Christian states woke up, put aside their differences for a while and, on the initiative of Pope Pius V, formed the "Sacra Liga Antiturca" on May 25, 1571. It consisted of Spain, Venice, Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy, Malta and other smaller cities of the Italian peninsula. It was decided to form a fleet and send it to the eastern Mediterranean.

The naval force, led by the young Spanish prince Don Juan of Austria, assembled in Messina, Sicily, and with the Pope's blessings set sail on September 16, 1571. Ten days later, the fleet arrived in Cephalonia, where it held…