The naval battle of Lepanto, fought off the west coast of Greece on 7 October 1571, was a crushing victory for the 'Holy League' (an alliance of Catholic maritime states) over the Ottoman Empire, which saw most of its fleet sunk or captured. The battle halted Ottoman expansion in the western Mediterranean, though its long-term significance is debatable. This is the only known impression of this large, densely detailed woodcut, published in Venice the year after the battle; the print was already in poor condition when Cassiano dal Pozzo acquired it and laid it onto a backing sheet.