Venetian galley bringing news of Lepanto Battle of Lepanto 1571 The Battle of Lepanto occurred on October 7, 1571 between Ottoman naval forces and the combined naval power of the Pope, Spain, and Venice (with some minor contributions from Genoa, other Italian states, and the Knights of Malta). The European fleet was aptly commanded by Don John of Austria (Don Juan D'Austria). The battle was a crushing defeat for the Ottomans, who lost all but about 40 of their approximately 300 ships involved in the battle. The Battle of Lepanto was one of the most decisive naval defeats in the Mediterranean between the Battle of Actium (in 31 BC) and the Battle of the Nile during the Napoleonic wars. During the course of the battle, the Ottoman commander's ship was boarded and the admiral was beheaded, against the wishes of Don John. However, when his head was displayed from the mast of the Spanish flagship it contributed greatly to destroying Turkish morale. The battle concluded around 4 pm.