October 7, 2012 5:05 PM Oct. 7 1571 Battle of Lepanto - Muslim
defeatAn important day in Christian history. Interesting that
the Pope warned Europe about the danger of Muslim invasion, but
the northern European countries were too distracted with the
Reformation and fighting Catholicism to band against their
common enemy. A lesson for today? View larger image A battle not
forgotten. The future author of Don Quixote, Miguel de
Cervantes, served on one of the Christian galleys in what he
called the greatest naval sea battle in history and the most
important to that time for the safety of Europe. The Turks had
been massing an enormous fleet for an invasion of Italy. The
preparations began to be reported on many months in advance. It
was the year 1571 when that fleet was gathered near a port in
Greece, not far from the Gulf of Lepanto. For over a year, Pope
Pius V had tried to alert the great powers of Europe to the
coming menace. But England, France, and the regional powers of
what later became Germany were preoc