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The Battle of Curzola (today Korčula, southern Dalmatia, now in
The fleets of the two states were apparently equal in number, but, after the Venetians ran their galleys aground while trying to capture the Genoese galleys, Doria exhibited superior strategy and managed to inflict a resounding defeat on his enemies. The disaster seemed almost complete for Venice: 83 of their 95 ships were destroyed and about 7,000 men were killed. Dandolo was captured by the Genoese but committed suicide soon afterwards. Venice suffered heavy losses, but she managed to immediately equip another 100 galleys and sought to obtain reasonable peace conditions that did not significantly hamper its power and prosperity.
According to a later tradition (16th century) recorded by
The naval battle dramatised by Korculans
1298 in Europe War of Curzola Curzola Curzola History of the Adriatic Sea Curzola
Croatia
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, capit ...
) was a naval battle fought on 9 September 1298 between the Genoese and Venetian navies. It was a disaster for Venice, a major setback among the many battles fought in the 13th and 14th centuries between Pisa, Genoa, and Venice in a long series of wars for the control of Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
and Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
ine trade.
Battle
The battle took place in the channel between the island of Curzola (Korčula) and the mainland peninsula of Sabbioncello (Pelješac), and ashore, where Venetian troops had been landed on the island's far side. The Venetians were led by AdmiralAndrea Dandolo
Andrea Dandolo (13067 September 1354) was elected the 54th doge of Venice in 1343, replacing Bartolomeo Gradenigo who died in late 1342.
Early life
Trained in historiography and law, Andrea Dandolo studied at the University of Padua, where ...
, son of Doge
A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics".
Etymology
The ...
Giovanni Dandolo, and the Genoese by Lamba Doria
Lamba D'Oria (also spelled Doria) (1245–1323) was an Italian admiral of the Republic of Genoa.
The brother of the ''capitano del popolo'' Oberto Doria, he was one of the best Genoese admirals, together with his descendant Andrea Doria. He defeat ...
, whose son was killed in the fighting: "Throw my son overboard into the deep sea," Doria was said to have ordered. "What better resting place can we give him?".
The fleets of the two states were apparently equal in number, but, after the Venetians ran their galleys aground while trying to capture the Genoese galleys, Doria exhibited superior strategy and managed to inflict a resounding defeat on his enemies. The disaster seemed almost complete for Venice: 83 of their 95 ships were destroyed and about 7,000 men were killed. Dandolo was captured by the Genoese but committed suicide soon afterwards. Venice suffered heavy losses, but she managed to immediately equip another 100 galleys and sought to obtain reasonable peace conditions that did not significantly hamper its power and prosperity.
According to a later tradition (16th century) recorded by Giovanni Battista Ramusio
Giovanni Battista Ramusio (; July 20, 1485 – July 10, 1557) was an Italian geographer and travel writer.
Born in Treviso, Italy, at that time in the Republic of Venice, Ramusio was the son of Paolo Ramusio, a magistrate of the Venetian ci ...
, Marco Polo was one of those among the Venetian prisoners and he dictated his famous book during the few months of his imprisonment; but whether he was actually captured at this battle or at a previous minor engagement near Laiazzo is unclear.Polo, Marco; Latham, Ronald (translator) (1958). ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', p. 16. New York: Penguin Books. .
Sources
{{ReflistExternal links
The naval battle dramatised by Korculans
1298 in Europe War of Curzola Curzola Curzola History of the Adriatic Sea Curzola