Battle of Lepanto
WarOttoman-Habsburg Wars
Year1571
LocationGreece
BelligerentsHoly League vs Ottoman Empire
About the Battle
The last great naval battle fought primarily with oar-powered galleys. The Holy League destroyed the Ottoman fleet, ending Ottoman naval dominance in the Mediterranean. Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote, fought here and was wounded in the left hand. Over 30,000 men died in a single afternoon.