The Battle of Lepanto, on 7 October 1571, was a naval engagement between the fleets of the Holy League (consisting of the Spanish monarchy, the papacy and the Venetian Republic) and the Ottoman Empire. It ended in a resounding victory for the Christian coalition. Numerous Catalans took part, including Lluís de Requesens, a lieutenant in the armada and the true commander of the Christian fleet. The victory put a halt to Turkish expansion, although it did not lead to any shifts in power between the Mediterranean forces. It did, nevertheless, have a powerful psychological effect as it was the first important defeat of the Ottomans in the Mediterranean since the mid-15th century.