The battle took place on July 15, 1570, after four Maltese galleys encountered an Ottoman fleet under Uluj Ali.

[1] With the beginning of the Ottoman-Venetian War in 1570, the Knights of Malta prepared to send their fleet to the Eastern Mediterranean to help Venice.

When the Maltese fleet under the command of Francesco St Clement arrived in Messina, he learned that Giovanni Andrea Doria had gone to Tunis with 50 ships to block the fleet of Algerian Governor Uluj Ali Pasha.

[4] The Maltese lost their 3 ships, and 80 knights were captured in this disastrous battle.

[7] He learned from his prisoners that the Ottoman sultan and the Christians were preparing a large fleet between him and the Levant.