Storica National Geographic - Italy
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The Galley, Warship
Storica National Geographic, the Italian edition of the popular North American magazine, dedicated a report to the Battle of Lepanto, between the Christian and Ottoman fleets. As would happen later in the Spanish edition, the information included on double-page, the infographic of Don Juan de Austria's Galley “La Real”, whose elements were arranged at the criteria of the magazine's editors. After the conquest of Cyprus by the Otomans, which was domain of the Republic of Venice, the Holy League was organized, made up by the Spanish Empire, the Papal States, the Republics of Genoa and Venice, the Duchy of Savoy and the Order of Malta, in order to stop the Turkish advance in the eastern Mediterranean. The commander of the Christian fleet was Don Juan de Austria, brother of King Felipe II of Spain. The naval battle took place on October 7th 1571 in the waters of the Corinthian Gulf, in front of the city of Lepanto, on the western coast of Greece. The Christian fleet got the victory against an enemy greater in number.
Page(s): 84-85
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Byzantine Cataphract
In the report dedicated to Alessio I: Il restauratore dell'Imperio Byzantino (Alejo I: The Restorer of the Byzantine Empire), Storica National Geographic included the infographic of the Byzantine cataphracts, a heavy cavalry corp, in which, since the end of the 10th century, both the rider and the horse wore armor. Thanks to these characteristics, they constituted an irresistible shock force, and were also one of the few cavalry corps in history, capable of maintaining a combat with the infantry in closed order and for a long time. However, after the Battle of Manzikert (1071), in which they were defeated by the light cavalry of the Seljuk Turks, the cataphracts began to decline.
Page(s): 71
