THE NAVAL BATTLE OF LEPANTO — Selim II, who succeeded his father Suleiman (d. 1566) as Grand Sultan of Constantinople, immediately showed his intention of seizing Cyprus, despite the peace treaty concluded with Venice, which was its sovereign. Venice prepared for war and sought help from Pope Pius V and the Christian princes. Philip II, King of Spain and also lord of the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and Sardinia, jealous of Venetian predominance in the Levant, would have welcomed the humiliation of the Republic; though he promised his aid, he deliberately delayed every measure. Meanwhile, the Turk landed in Cyprus in July 1570; on 9 September he took Nicosia, and on 4 August 1571, after a long siege, Famagusta as well; thus the whole island was lost to Christendom.
Only on 25 May 1571 was the league signed in Rome between the Pope, Spain, and Venice, whereby Don John of Austria, Philip II’s brother, was designated commander of the combined fleet; Sebastiano Venier took command of the Venetian ships, Marco Antonio Colonna that of the papal vessels with the rank of lieutenant to Don John. The fleet was ready at Messina only at the end of August, and after touching Corfu it entered the Gulf of Lepanto. Of the 208 galleys plus six galleasses, only fourteen were Spanish; all the rest were Italian, armed with Italian money; of the 34,000 combatants only 5,000 were Spanish. The clash took place off Lepanto on 7 October. The Turkish fleet was commanded by Ali Pasha; on the right flank was Mehemet Scirocco, on the left Uluç Ali, King of Algiers. The Christian fleet was led by Don John of Austria; on the left flank was Agostino Barbarigo, on the right Gian Andrea Doria. The fighting was fiercest at the Christian centre and left flank; on the right, Doria’s tactics—keeping to the open sea—were variously judged, yet he kept Uluç Ali engaged. The decisive day ended in Christian victory, won at heavy cost; it saved Venice and Italy from greater harm, but not the East, for though the Turkish naval power was deeply wounded it was not destroyed. Venice was forced to sue for peace with the Turk, while Philip II vainly attempted an expedition against Tunis.
The victory of Lepanto became legendary: its occurrence on the day when the Confraternities of the Rosary were offering special prayers linked the triumph with that devotion; the Venetians in particular gave thanks to St Justina, whose feast fell on that day.