The greatest naval battle ever — the Battle of Lepanto — was held on October 7, 1571. The forces of the Holy League numbered 150 galleys of the Venetian Republic, 79 Spanish, 12 galleys of the Papal States, the Genoese fleet and the forces of the Maltese Knights (more precisely the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta). Seven Christian galleys also took part in it; Kotor, Trogir, Hvar, Krk, Cres, Šibenik and Rab. The goal was to suppress the power of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean.
The reason why Europe was saved is called Nikola Spalato, one of at least three of the most important citizens of Rab, ie the nobles of Rab. The other two are from the Dominis family. Namely, Nikola, as a scout, was the first to notice and report to the commander-in-chief the positions of the Turkish galleys. He, and it should be noted, was in the service of the Rab captain of the galley Ivan Dominis. In his retirement, Nikola was promoted to the rank of colonel. The Austrian Emperor Rudolf named him the Golden Knight, and he also received the decoration of the Spanish Emperor Philip II. The forgotten and overwhelming hero of the Battle of Lepanto is buried in Campor in the church of St. Bernardine.
The Spalatin family probably originates from Split (Spalato-Spalatin) and one of the few noble Rab families has survived to this day, but outside the island. It is interesting how the two Spalatins were bishops. The first is Šimun, and the second is his nephew-Mihovil Matija Spalatin. Matthias distinguished himself with the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, or a year later in Šibenik, where he served as bishop. Namely, the people of Šibenik started a revolt against the privileged nobility and landowners, and they also killed the French consul and his wife. He gave a speech in which he calmed the people and they withdrew.
