Venetian-Genoese War
Encyclopedia
The Venetian–Genoese Wars were a long-standing conflict between the Republic of Genoa
and the Republic of Venice
for dominance in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
between 1256 and 1381. It occurred in four spurts of open warfare. The first three were primarily naval conflicts, fought in the Eastern Mediterranean and chiefly the Aegean Sea
. The first, occurring between 1257 and 1270, demonstrated the overall superiority of Venice at sea, but could not halt the expansion of Genoese influence, especially in Byzantium. The second war, in 1294–1299, was indecisive, and the third war between 1350 and 1355 was won by Genoa. The fourth, occurring between 1378 and 1381 was a victory for Venice and was fought mostly in Italy
.
, whereupon the Genoese attacked the Venetian quarter. A fleet was sent from Venice in 1257 under Lorenzo Tiepolo, who defeated a larger Genoese fleet off Acre in June next year. In 1261, Venice suffered a major setback with the signing of the Treaty of Nymphaeum
between Genoa and the Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
, as well as with the loss, soon after that, of Constantinople
to a restored Byzantine Empire under Michael VIII.
Throughout the war, the Venetians retained the upper hand over the Genoese in naval combat. Generally, the Genoese admirals were reluctant to confront the Venetians, even when numerically superior, and when battles took place, as in Greece at Settepozzi
in 1263 and off Sicily
at Trapani in 1266, the outcome were clear Venetian victories. To protect their commerce from Genoese raids, the Venetians also instituted a successful convoy
system. The only major Genoese success occurred in 1264, when admiral Simone Grillo lured away the Venetian war fleet and destroyed the unprotected convoy. The Venetian victories also brought about the partial restoration of their position and trading rights in the Byzantine Empire, with a truce signed in 1268. The war with Genoa was ended in 1270 through a truce mediated by Louis IX of France
, who wished to embark on a crusade and needed the rival fleets for this undertaking.
, Bosporus
, and the Genoese colony of Galata
. When Venetians attacked the colony, many of the Genoese sought shelter behind the walls of Constantinople
. They in turn attacked the Venetian merchants in the city. The Venetians retaliated by attacking the suburbs outside the city walls, drawing the Byzantines into their own separate conflict. The population of Constantinople retaliated by attacking the remaining Venetians in the city. After their victory at the Battle of Curzola
, the Genoese quietly withdrew from the fighting and signed the 'eternal peace' with the Venetians in 1299, as the war broke out to a larger Byzantine–Venetian War (1294–1302)
. It was in this war that Marco Polo
, fighting for his native Venice, was taken prisoner and while in prison wrote his memoirs.
fought a short war
with the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos
in Galata and Chios
. In 1350 they found themselves at war with the Venetians
, who sought to undermine Genoa's mercantile activity in the eastern Mediterranean. Genoa meanwhile had been aiding the adversaries of Aragon in Sardinia and Peter thus entered the war on the side of Venice and Byzantium. Genoa was forced into an alliance with the growing Ottoman beylik
and even made an assault on Constantinople
. On 16 January 1351, a treaty was signed in Venice between the Republic and the Crown of Aragon "for the confusion, destruction, and final extermination of the Genoese." Pope Clement VI
tried to prevent fighting, but with no effect.
Under their general Niccolò Pisani, the Venetians burned Galata in the early summer of 1351 and forced the emperor to join the alliance against Genoa. On 12 September the Doge of Venice
, Andrea Dandolo
, ratified the treaty with Aragon. The treaty specified that Aragon was responsible for disrupting Genoese activities in the western Mediterranean and Italy while Venice would take responsibility for the eastern sea and the Levant
.
A Genoese armada of sixty-two ships under the command of Paganino Doria sailed into the Aegean not long after the loss of Galata and besieged the Venetian fortress of Oreos on their third of Euboea
, where Pisani was staying. A body of three hundred horse and a large infantry contingent was dispatched from the Duchy of Athens
to hold Oreos. The siege lasted from 15 August until 20 October 1351, when Doria was forced to lift the siege by the arrival of a Catalan fleet led by Pons de Catapan and the assistance the garrison received from Venice. Pteleum was ravaged and looted and the entire archipelago suffered a spate of Genoese piracy.
In January 1352, Venice drew the Republic of Pisa
into the war on her side against Genoa, which had defeated the Pisans at the Battle of Meloria three generations earlier, putting an end to their power in the Mediterranean. On 13 February, a Venetian-Aragonese fleet met the Genoese near Constantinople in the indecisive Battle of the Bosporus; both sides suffered heavy losses, but in the end Venice had to abandon the Bosporus and the Aragonese fleet was hardest hit. On 6 May, the emperor had no choice but to come to terms of peace with Paganino Doria. Venice responded by paying his son-in-law, John V Palaiologos
, to enter the war against him and the Genoese. John VI then began a campaign for papal support and the union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Pope Innocent VI
responded with enthusiastic support for the Byzantine emperor in a letter of 15 March 1353 and in another of 29 September, addressed to Genoa, urged the city-state to make peace with Venice and Aragon. The pope's enthusiasm quickly abated as John Palaiologos entered Constantinople the next year (1354). On 29 August 1354, the Genoese were defeated at Alghero
on Sardinia and forced to submit to Giovanni Visconti, Lord of Milan, who then financed a fleet with which to send Doria back to the east, where he defeated Venice and captured thirty five galleys at Zonklon. This last defeat was a factor in the deposition of doge Marino Faliero
. Venice made peace with Genoa on 1 June 1355.
. It is generally called the "War of Chioggia" after the battle which was fought there in 1381. This conflict saw the first use of shipborne cannons in support of amphibious assault operations, and perhaps against Genoese galleys. The conflict was nearly disastrous for both sides, and Genoa was certainly crippled. Venice might have suffered as badly, were it not for its admirals Vettor Pisani
and Carlo Zeno
.
In 1379, the Genoese defeated the Venetians off Pula
, but the Venetians trapped them in the lagoons of Chioggia
and destroyed their fleet in 1380 in the Battle of Chioggia
. Through the mediation of the "Green Count" of Savoy, Amadeus VI
, the two sides made a peace treaty at Turin
which, due to Genoa's ruin, was to last a good time.
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
and the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
for dominance in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
between 1256 and 1381. It occurred in four spurts of open warfare. The first three were primarily naval conflicts, fought in the Eastern Mediterranean and chiefly the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. The first, occurring between 1257 and 1270, demonstrated the overall superiority of Venice at sea, but could not halt the expansion of Genoese influence, especially in Byzantium. The second war, in 1294–1299, was indecisive, and the third war between 1350 and 1355 was won by Genoa. The fourth, occurring between 1378 and 1381 was a victory for Venice and was fought mostly in Italy
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
.
War of 1256–1270
The war broke out due to the murder of a Genoese citizen by a Venetian at AcreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
, whereupon the Genoese attacked the Venetian quarter. A fleet was sent from Venice in 1257 under Lorenzo Tiepolo, who defeated a larger Genoese fleet off Acre in June next year. In 1261, Venice suffered a major setback with the signing of the Treaty of Nymphaeum
Treaty of Nymphaeum (1261)
The Treaty of Nymphaeum was a trade and defense pact signed between the Empire of Nicaea and the Republic of Genoa in Nymphaion in March of 1261...
between Genoa and the Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
, as well as with the loss, soon after that, of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to a restored Byzantine Empire under Michael VIII.
Throughout the war, the Venetians retained the upper hand over the Genoese in naval combat. Generally, the Genoese admirals were reluctant to confront the Venetians, even when numerically superior, and when battles took place, as in Greece at Settepozzi
Battle of Settepozzi
The Battle of Settepozzi was fought sometime in May–July 1263 off Settepozzi between a Genoese-Byzantine fleet and a smaller Venetian fleet...
in 1263 and off Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
at Trapani in 1266, the outcome were clear Venetian victories. To protect their commerce from Genoese raids, the Venetians also instituted a successful convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
system. The only major Genoese success occurred in 1264, when admiral Simone Grillo lured away the Venetian war fleet and destroyed the unprotected convoy. The Venetian victories also brought about the partial restoration of their position and trading rights in the Byzantine Empire, with a truce signed in 1268. The war with Genoa was ended in 1270 through a truce mediated by Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, who wished to embark on a crusade and needed the rival fleets for this undertaking.
War of 1294–1299
The long standing rivalry between Venice and Genoa broke out in the northern AegeanAegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
, and the Genoese colony of Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
. When Venetians attacked the colony, many of the Genoese sought shelter behind the walls of Constantinople
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
. They in turn attacked the Venetian merchants in the city. The Venetians retaliated by attacking the suburbs outside the city walls, drawing the Byzantines into their own separate conflict. The population of Constantinople retaliated by attacking the remaining Venetians in the city. After their victory at the Battle of Curzola
Battle of Curzola
Battle of Curzola was the naval battle which was fought on September 9, 1298 between the fleets of Genoa and Venice; it was a disaster for Venice, a major setback among many battles fought in the 13th and 14th centuries between Pisa, Genoa and Venice in a long series of wars...
, the Genoese quietly withdrew from the fighting and signed the 'eternal peace' with the Venetians in 1299, as the war broke out to a larger Byzantine–Venetian War (1294–1302)
Byzantine–Venetian War (1294–1302)
The Byzantine–Venetian War of 1294–1302 was an off-shoot of the first Venetian–Genoese War of 1294–1299....
. It was in this war that Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
, fighting for his native Venice, was taken prisoner and while in prison wrote his memoirs.
War of 1350–1355
In 1348–1349 the GenoeseRepublic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
fought a short war
Byzantine–Genoese War (1348–1349)
The Byzantine–Genoese War of 1348–1349 was fought over control over custom dues through the Bosphorus. The Byzantines attempted to break Byzantium's dependence for food and maritime commerce on the Genoese merchants of Galata, and also to rebuild their own naval power...
with the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
in Galata and Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
. In 1350 they found themselves at war with the Venetians
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, who sought to undermine Genoa's mercantile activity in the eastern Mediterranean. Genoa meanwhile had been aiding the adversaries of Aragon in Sardinia and Peter thus entered the war on the side of Venice and Byzantium. Genoa was forced into an alliance with the growing Ottoman beylik
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and even made an assault on Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. On 16 January 1351, a treaty was signed in Venice between the Republic and the Crown of Aragon "for the confusion, destruction, and final extermination of the Genoese." Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
tried to prevent fighting, but with no effect.
Under their general Niccolò Pisani, the Venetians burned Galata in the early summer of 1351 and forced the emperor to join the alliance against Genoa. On 12 September the Doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, Andrea Dandolo
Andrea Dandolo
Andrea Dandolo was elected the 54th doge of Venice in 1343, replacing Bartolomeo Gradenigo who died in late 1342....
, ratified the treaty with Aragon. The treaty specified that Aragon was responsible for disrupting Genoese activities in the western Mediterranean and Italy while Venice would take responsibility for the eastern sea and the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
.
A Genoese armada of sixty-two ships under the command of Paganino Doria sailed into the Aegean not long after the loss of Galata and besieged the Venetian fortress of Oreos on their third of Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
, where Pisani was staying. A body of three hundred horse and a large infantry contingent was dispatched from the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
to hold Oreos. The siege lasted from 15 August until 20 October 1351, when Doria was forced to lift the siege by the arrival of a Catalan fleet led by Pons de Catapan and the assistance the garrison received from Venice. Pteleum was ravaged and looted and the entire archipelago suffered a spate of Genoese piracy.
In January 1352, Venice drew the Republic of Pisa
Republic of Pisa
The Republic of Pisa was a de facto independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa during the late tenth and eleventh centuries. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century before being surpassed and...
into the war on her side against Genoa, which had defeated the Pisans at the Battle of Meloria three generations earlier, putting an end to their power in the Mediterranean. On 13 February, a Venetian-Aragonese fleet met the Genoese near Constantinople in the indecisive Battle of the Bosporus; both sides suffered heavy losses, but in the end Venice had to abandon the Bosporus and the Aragonese fleet was hardest hit. On 6 May, the emperor had no choice but to come to terms of peace with Paganino Doria. Venice responded by paying his son-in-law, John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
, to enter the war against him and the Genoese. John VI then began a campaign for papal support and the union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
responded with enthusiastic support for the Byzantine emperor in a letter of 15 March 1353 and in another of 29 September, addressed to Genoa, urged the city-state to make peace with Venice and Aragon. The pope's enthusiasm quickly abated as John Palaiologos entered Constantinople the next year (1354). On 29 August 1354, the Genoese were defeated at Alghero
Alghero
Alghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
on Sardinia and forced to submit to Giovanni Visconti, Lord of Milan, who then financed a fleet with which to send Doria back to the east, where he defeated Venice and captured thirty five galleys at Zonklon. This last defeat was a factor in the deposition of doge Marino Faliero
Marino Faliero
Marino Faliero was the fifty-fifth Doge of Venice, appointed on 11 September 1354. He was sometimes referred to simply as Marin Falier or Falieri.-Biography:...
. Venice made peace with Genoa on 1 June 1355.
War of 1378–1381
In 1378 open fighting broke out again between Venice and Genoa over possession of the Greek island of TenedosTenedos
Tenedos or Bozcaada or Bozdja-Ada is a small island in the Aegean Sea, part of the Bozcaada district of Çanakkale province in Turkey. , Tenedos has a population of about 2,354. The main industries are tourism, wine production and fishing...
. It is generally called the "War of Chioggia" after the battle which was fought there in 1381. This conflict saw the first use of shipborne cannons in support of amphibious assault operations, and perhaps against Genoese galleys. The conflict was nearly disastrous for both sides, and Genoa was certainly crippled. Venice might have suffered as badly, were it not for its admirals Vettor Pisani
Vettor Pisani
Vettor Pisani was a Venetian admiral.-Biography:He was in command of the Venetian fleet in 1378 during the war against the Genoese, whom he defeated off Capo d'Anzio; subsequently he recaptured Kotor, Šibenik and Rab, which had been seized by the Croatians and Hungarians, the allies of the Genoese...
and Carlo Zeno
Carlo Zeno
Carlo Zeno was an Italian admiral from Venice, who is considered a hero of the War of Chioggia against the Republic of Genoa....
.
In 1379, the Genoese defeated the Venetians off Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, but the Venetians trapped them in the lagoons of Chioggia
Chioggia
Chioggia is a coastal town and comune of the province of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy.-Geography:...
and destroyed their fleet in 1380 in the Battle of Chioggia
Battle of Chioggia
The naval Battle of Chioggia took place on June 21, 1380 in the lagoon off Chioggia, Italy, between the Venetian and the Genoese fleets, who had captured the little fishing port in August the preceding year. This occurred during the War of Chioggia....
. Through the mediation of the "Green Count" of Savoy, Amadeus VI
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI , nicknamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aimone, Count of Savoy and Yolande of Montferrat....
, the two sides made a peace treaty at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
which, due to Genoa's ruin, was to last a good time.