Battle of Zonchio
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| Battle of Zonchio | |||||||
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| Part of the Turkish-Venetian Wars | |||||||
 unknown Venetian artist, British Museum |
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| Combatants | |||||||
 Republic of Venice |
 Ottoman Empire |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Antonio Grimani | Kemal Reis | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 47 galleys, 17 galliots, circa 100 small vessels | 67 galleys, 20 galliots, circa 200 small vessels | ||||||
The naval Battle of Zonchio, also known as the Battle of Sapienza of 1499 or the First Battle of Lepanto took place on four separate days: on August 12, 20, 22 and 25, 1499. It was the first naval battle in history with cannons used on ships.
In 1499 Sultan Bayezid II dispatched a large Ottoman fleet under the command of Kemal Reis into the Ionian Sea. The Venetian fleet under the command of Antonio Grimani was soundly defeated at Zonchio, near Lepanto. Antonio Grimani was arrested on September 29, but was eventually released. Grimani later became the Doge of Venice in 1521.
The Turkish fleet and army quickly overwhelmed most of the Venetian possessions in Greece.
Modon (Μεθώνη) and Coron (Κορώνη), the "two eyes of the Republic", were lost. Turkish cavalry raids reached Venetian territory in northern Italy, and, in 1503, Venice again had to seek peace, recognizing the Turkish gains.[1]
[edit] References
[1] Frederic C. Lane: Venice, A Maritime Republic (Baltimore 1973)
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