Battle of Matapan

On July 2, two Venetian squadrons joined forces off of Cape Matapan. The first squadron, composed of 24 sailing ships, was led by Capitano delle Navi Marcantonio Diedo. The second was a squadron of 24 galleys commanded by Captain General of the Sea Andrea Pisani. They met a small squadron of nine mixed Portuguese and Maltese ships led by the Maltese knight Bellefontaine.

The combined fleet, facing unfavorable winds, was unable to reach the island of Sapientza as planned. Desperate for water, they risked being trapped in the Laconian Gulf and sailed to the island of Cranae (Marathonisi), located off of Gytheio, to resupply.

The allied fleet was organized into four divisions: Diedo was in the van; following was the center led by his second-in-command Correr. The third or rear division was commanded by Dolfin. The fourth or allied division was commanded by Bellefontaine.

On 19, July the Venetians sighted the Ottoman fleet of 30 sailing ships and 4 galleys to their south, on the west side of the gulf entrance. The Ottomans, with a light wind from the south-southeast, had the advantage. Diedo was unable to sail to the west of the Ottoman fleet, and he decided to sail east across the gulf.

At sunrise, Ibrahim attacked Venice's rear division with six of his ships; the rest of the Ottoman fleet sailed ahead and attacked the Venetian van and center. At noon the two fleets approached the eastern side of the gulf. The leading ships then turned as the wind shifted from the southeast, which put the leading Venetian ships to windward of the Ottoman fleet for the first time. Seeing his advantage, Diedo attacked. In the early afternoon the Ottoman fleet retired, sailing for the Cervi–Cerigo (Elafonisos–Kythira) passage; the Venetians and allies sailed for Cape Matapan, the southern tip of the Mani Peninsula. Neither side wished to continue the fight.

The battle was considered a victory for Venice and her allies. Each allied state gave their own ships complete credit for any achievements. Accounts are highly unreliable; many list forces which were not actually present at the battle.

In Lisbon, the victory off Matapan was celebrated and served to enhance John V's international prestige.^[4] For the support given to the allied Catholic forces, the Portuguese King received the title of the "Most Faithful" and the arch-episcopacy of Lisbon was elevated to the status of a patriarchate.^[5]

The Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War was the last conflict between the two powers. It ended with an Ottoman victory and Venice losing its major Greek possession, the Kingdom of the Morea. The war ended with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718.

According to Saturnino Monteiro, the Portuguese ships were heavily damaged, with around 50 killed and 150 wounded. The Maltese ships likely suffered fewer casualties as they were involved in combat for a shorter time, while the Venetian ships experienced little to no damage.^[8]

As for the Ottomans, Monteiro notes that one ship sank from artillery fire and another was accidentally set on fire, though eyewitnesses do not confirm this. Some claimed up to 6,000 Ottoman deaths, but Monteiro considers this number exaggerated.^[8]