Plate 17 of 'Historia de la marina real espa̱ola episodios maritimos' lithographed by J. J. Martinez and others. The print depicts the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 between the allied Christian forces of the Holy League and the Ottoman Turks during the Ottoman campaign to invade the Venetian island Cyprus. The Holy League was led by the illegitimate son of the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V, Don Juan of Austria. Ali Pasha, or otherwise known as "Hali Bassa," was the admiral of the Ottoman sultan's naval fleet. The battle resulted in a decisive Christian victory that defended Europe from Ottoman expansion.
In the history of naval warfare, Lepanto marked the last major engagement in the Western world to be fought almost entirely in rowing vessels, the galleys and galeasses that were still the direct descendants of the ancient trireme warships. Over the following decades, the galleon ships and the line of battle tactic would displace galley warfare. The print reflects the galley tactic used in the Battle of Lepanto. There is a clash between two rowed vessels, with large warships behind them. The left vessel is manned by the Ottomans, who wear turbans and robes; the right vessel is manned by Europeans in traditional armor. Men participate in hand-to-hand combat as they fight from the broadsides of boats or board enemy boats. In the top margin is printed "Episodios Maritimos." The title, production information, and a description of the action in Spanish are printed in the lower margin.
The complete digitized bound series can be found at the Biblioteca de Catalunya: http://mdc.cbuc.cat/cdm/ref/collection/materialsBC/id/5755
