The battle of Lepanto (7^th October 1571) is one of the major naval combats in world history. , the fleets of Spain, Venice, Genova, the Knights of Malta, the Duchy of Savoy, the Duchy of Urbino, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Pope confronted the Ottoman fleet as the Lega Santa (Holy League). The victory of the Christian alliance inspired several artists, who created tenths of paintings depicting the battle, in the years immediately following the event and in later times as well.

Isolaria as well as other historical and geographical works of the late 16^th century include copper engravings of maps of the area, of the disposition of the fleets and of the battle itself (G.Fr. Camocio, 1574 and G. Rosaccio, 1598). The subjects of the illustrations which accompany this edition of J. Spon 's voyage (1678), which is highly significant for the author's pioneering exploration of ancient sites, are novel and groundbreaking for their time. Most of the pictures are first-ever depictions of archaeological sites and ruins.

Maps of the area, showing the entrance to the Corinthian gulf and the city castle illustrate important travel accounts such as those by H. Beauvau, 1615 and G. Wheler (1682). The engravings in the 1708 works by V. M. Coronelli are highly appealing, although most plates repeat subjects already published in earlier editions of the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti.The plates in the work by J. Sandrart (1687) show castles and other location, in their majority under Ottoman rule. Several similar works which highlight the victories of the Venetians against the Ottomans in the Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War (1684-1699) were released during the same period. The editions by J. Enderlin include copies of engravings found in earlier or nearly contemporary popular works (1686). Επίσης η εικονογράφηση στο ιστορικο-γεωγραφικά έργο του J. Enderlin (1691) παραδίδει σπάνια και πρωτότυπα θέματα. The editions by J. Peeters in the late 17^th century (1686 and 1690) also exalt the victories of the Holy League in the Ottoman-Venetian wars. The plates show cities, ports and other locations in Austria, Southeastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and places in Asia all the way to India and Saudi Arabia.

In 1572 T. Porcacchi published a very successful isolario, (here the edition of 1620) in which he employed the novel technique of copper engraving. This technique permitted the creation of more detailed and accurate images and a greater concentration of information; it gradually became the technique of choice for all illustrated works, until the early 19th century, when progressively lithography became the most popular technique. V.M. Coronelli, the founder of the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti in Venice, published several editions illustrated with hundreds of copper engravings, which aimed at exalting Venice's victories during the Ottoman-Venetian war (1684-1687). Naturally engravings of the castle of Naupactus form part of these works. The illustrations of J. Enderlin's historical and geographical works (1691) include rare and original subjects.

In the early 19^th century, painter S. Pomardi produces an interesting view of the city (1820). Chr. Wordsworth's highly successful work (more of a historical narrative than a travel account) also includes a view of Naupactus executed in a novel style.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou