Battle of Lepanto, 1571
On October 7, 1571 a galley fleet of the Holy League decisively defeated the main fleet of Ottoman war galleys. The Holy League consisted of 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, .
The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in battle was the first since the fifteenth century and it prevented the expansion of the Empire into Europe.