Nautical Research Journal
La Galera Real – A model of the fl agship of Don Juan de Austria at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, Part 1 By D. Roger Moore
Introduction
T e Mediterranean Sea, bordering lands that produced some of the earliest civilizations, has long been the site of naval confl ict. Some of the greatest sea battles in history took place in these waters, one being a battle in 1571 between Christian and Muslim forces—the Holy League comprised of Spanish, Venetian, Genoan and Vatican-sponsored navies and the navy of the Ottoman Empire—which has come to be called the Battle of Lepanto.
T e Ottoman Empire had been proceeding on a course of westward expansion for many years prior to Lepanto. T is included the capture of the island of Rhodes in 1523, the naval battles of Preveza in 1538 and Djerba in 1560, the invasion and siege of Malta in 1565, and the invasion of Cyprus in 1570. Part of the reason for the aggression of the Ottomans was that the Western Europeans had not put up a strong, united defense. In 1570, Pope Pius V fi nally was able to bring together the naval forces of Venice, Spain and Genoa along with Vatican-sponsored private contractors to form the Holy League. T e fi rst Holy League expedition, in 1570, was designed to help relieve the Cyprus siege. It suff ered from a weak command structure that led to internal squabbling and untimely delays. T ere was no relief of Cyprus and the Ottoman fl eet was not engaged, so the expedition was a dismal failure. T is led to a shake-up in the command structure of the Holy League ,which was to have a great infl uence on next year’s campaign.
For the 1571 campaign, the choice for the overall commander fell to King Philip II of Spain. He selected his half-brother, Don Juan of Austria, for the role. (Figure 1) Although Don Juan was only twenty-three
1. Don Juan de Austria, the 23-year old commander of the Holy League Fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. Portrait by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, Museo del Prado, Madrid
years old, he had chosen a military career early in life. He was made Captain General of the Sea at the age of twenty, gaining battlefi eld experience fi ghting North African corsairs and the Moriscos. He was said to have been a handsome and dashing man who longed for glory and the chance to gain recognition in the Spanish royal court that he had been denied due to
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