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| 5. Venice |
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(See 1310) |
| ITALY IN THE 15TH CENTURY (MAP) |
| In the early 14th century, Venice dominated the trade of the Adriatic and possessed many colonies throughout the Middle East. Her position in the eastern trade was challenged primarily by her ancient enemy, Genoa, at that time at the height of her power. | 1 |
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| 1353–55 |
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| War between Venice and Genoa. The Venetians were defeated at Sapienza (1354) and suffered the loss of their fleet. Peace was mediated by Milan. | 2 |
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| 1378–81 |
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| The war of Chioggia, between Venice and Genoa. This grew out of the grant, by John V Paleologus, of the island of Tenedos, key to the Dardanelles. Luciano Doria, the Genoese admiral, defeated the Venetians at Pola, seized Chioggia, and blockaded Venice. The Venetians, under Vittorio Pisano, blocked the channel and starved out the fleet of Pietro Doria, forcing its surrender. From this blow Genoa never recovered. Thenceforth Venice was mistress of the Levantine trade, which made an outlet for her goods over the Alpine passes more urgent than ever. | 3 |
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| 1388 |
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| Treaty of the Venetians with the Ottoman Turks, the first effort to assure trade privileges despite the rise of the Turkish power. | 4 |
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| 1405 |
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| Venice seized Padua, Bassano, Vicenza, and Verona after the breakup of the Visconti domains (1402) and the defeat of the Carrara family. | 5 |
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| 1416 |
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| First war of Venice against the Ottoman Turks (See 1415–16), the result of Turkish activity in the Aegean. The Doge Loredano won a resounding victory at the Dardanelles and forced the sultan to conclude peace. | 6 |
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| 1425–30 |
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| Second war against the Turks. The Turkish fleets ravaged the Aegean stations of the Venetians and took Salonika (Thessalonica) (1430). | 7 |
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| 1426–29 |
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| The Venetians were obliged to make peace, in view of the war with Filippo Maria of Milan, by which the Venetians established a permanent hold over Verona and Vicenza and gained Brescia (1426), Bergamo (1428), and Crema (1429). | 8 |
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| 1453 |
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| Participation of the Venetians in the defense of Constantinople against Mehmed II (See 1451–81). After the capture of Constantinople, Mehmed proceeded to the conquest of Greece and Albania, thus isolating and endangering the Venetian stations. | 9 |
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| 1454 |
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| Treaty of Lodi. Scholars use this term to refer to (1) the peace agreement between Venice and Milan signed at Lodi, in Lombardy near Milan (April 9), and (2) the mutual nonaggression pact signed at Venice (Aug. 30) between Venice, Milan, and Florence, and later by Naples and the papacy, binding the five major Italian powers for 25 years. This treaty stabilized the balance of power (see (See 1440)) in the peninsula until 1494. | 10 |
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| 1463–79 |
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| The great war against the Turks (See 1463–79). Negroponte was lost (1470). The Turks throughout maintained the upper hand and at times raided to the very outskirts of Venice. In the Treaty of Constantinople (1479), the Venetians gave up Scutari and other Albanian stations, as well as Negroponte and Lemnos. Thenceforth the Venetians paid an annual tribute for permission to trade in the Black Sea. | 11 |
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| 1482–84 |
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| War with Ferrara, as a result of which Venice acquired Rovigo. This marked the limit of Venetian expansion on the mainland. The frontiers remained substantially unaltered until the days of Napoleon. | 12 |
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