The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states, Spain, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia, the Republic of Venice, the Papacy, the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, the Knights Hospitaller with additional troops from Germany and Croatia decisively defeated the main fleet of the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
The battle lasted for five hours on the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece, where the Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto (Turkish: İnebahtı; Naupaktos or Épahtos) met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina ships were amnned by Berbers, Egyptians and Syrians
The Victory of the Holy League prevented the Mediterranean Sea from becoming an uncontested highway for Muslim forces, protected Italy from a major Ottoman invasion, and prevented the Ottomans from advancing further into the southern flank of Europe. Lepanto was the last major naval battle fought entirely between galleys, and has been assigned great symbolic importance.
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