16th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology

40 16 th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology Katerina P. Dellaporta Byzantine & Christian Museum, Athens, Greece Sailing through Lepanto’s history. Reading the Ships of the greatest naval battle of XVI th century in the Mediterranean from unknown Greek iconography 450 years ago in 1571, the naval battle that defined the history of the Mediter- ranean but also the last one that took place entirely with galleys took place in Nafpaktos, Lepanto in western Greece coast. On the other hand, different and new types of ships were used with the one and only purpose of imposing themselves on conflicts at sea, such as by in- dicative means: the large-scale galley of the western naval tradition, galeaza, or galee grosse, which was a mixed sailing warship, the galliots, faster and more flex- ible, lightly equipped and efficient in coastal operations, the smaller rowing war- ships such as warships bergantins, used to protect the sides and sterns of blocked galleys on the battle line and finally the lantern galley, a warship of Mediterranean concept with the same outline on a larger scale than the galley. The representation of the 1571 Lepanto’s naval battle was one of the most popular subjects of western painting from the 16 th to the 18 th century, giving the triggering event to a number of iconographic representations related to engrav- ings, tapestry, wood carvings, silver sculpture etc. This paper attempts to define the distinctive features of the groups and types of ships that participated in the last great naval battle with galleys of the Mediterranean through unknown depictions of the Lepanto’s naval battle from Greek museums and collections.