The Battle of Chioggia

Admiral Carlo Zeno came from one of the most prestigious, oldest, and revered families of Venice. Carlo was known as the “lion”.  The Zeno's were regarded with the same respect that the Sinclair's of Scotland were held in.

 The name Zeno can be traced to the highest offices of state.  In 1203 Marin Zeno took part in the conquest of Constantinople and became governor of the Venetian section of Constantinople in 1205.

  His son Pietro, was the father of Rineri, who was duke of Venice in 1282.  Renri governed for 17 years. Governor Renri Zeno carried on a successful campaign against the Genoese.  He was the grandfather of Pietro who in 1362 was the supreme naval commander of the league of Christians against the Turks.

 Pietro's nick name was the “Dragon”, which was turned into the family crest and emblazoned on the family shield.  The Dragon had three sons, Carlo the “Lion”, Nicholas II “Cavaliere” and Antonio.  It was during the voyage to the northern capitals of Europe by Admiral Carlo Zeno in 1364 that the association of the Zeno's and Prince Henry Sinclair became evident.

 On these voyages to the north the Zeno brothers would write extensive letters to each other and these very important letters became known to history as the “Zeno Narrative's”.  These became very important in documenting the pre-Columbian discovery of America by Prince Henry Sinclair in 1398.

 In January 1339, a peace treaty took place, and Venice acquired properties on the mainland of Italy.  Venice already had colonies in Greece and other cities throughout the Mediterranean.  Some were glorified trading posts, such as Acre.

 The properties on the mainland of Italy were very important to Venice because of the grains, corn and meat to be imported into the City of Venice essentially built in a lagoon with limited resources.

 The powers in the Mediterranean during this period of history were the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian, the Genovese, and the Turks.  A big vacuum was left in the Mediterranean with the suppression of the Order of the Temple of Solomon.

 The Byzantine Empire was coming apart at the seams because of theological dispute and political rivalry; it was now on the verge of bankruptcy.  The Venetian and Genovese had been at war for ages and weren't able to mend their differences to a point where they could join forces to hold the Turks in check.

 By 1340 the Turks were 60 miles from Constrainable with a flotilla of 230 ships.  This was not only threatening Venice but the entire eastern Mediterranean. Turkish dominance at this time contained most of Asia Minor.

 At this point Venice was at the height of commercial prosperity, they were erecting new buildings, art work and the outward trapping of prosperity.  In 1341 the restoration of the duke of Venice's palace began and this is the facade we see today 670 years later.

 The administrative seats of power in Venice were in stark contrast to that of Mainland Italy, where the government seat was protected by a moat and drawbridge to protect public officials from the wrath of her people.

 The Duke of Venice had no need to be protected from the people his palace was built to celebrate not to intimidate. It was built to celebrate the political stability, prosperity and serenity that Venice alone enjoyed.

 This was in contrast to the rest of Italy.  The palace is described as a dazzling fusion of grace, and color.  But they also lived in the real world!

 The bubonic plague arrived in 1348 and by the spring there were deaths of 600 per day. By the time the Black Death had run its course over fifty Nobel families had been wiped out.

 Venice had lost 60% of its population. Genoa had experienced similar loses, and the effect on these two powerful maritime nations was devastating.

 Conflict continued between the two countries, battle after battle Venice would win one then Genoa would win the next one without any gain but with significant loss of life and shipping.

  In 1355 a peace treaty was signed between the two arch enemies, then Venice was immediately at war with Hungary and a peace treaty was signed with them in 1358.

 This treaty cost Venice her Dalmatian colonies. By 1373 Venice and Genoa were at war again. The Genoese joined forces with the remnants of the Byzantine Empire.

  They commenced a forceful attack on Tenedos which controlled the entrance to the straits of Marmara. If Tenedoes were to be captured it would terminate Venice’s ability to trade with Constantinople, the black sea, and the remnants of the Byzantine Empire.

  This attempt failed, the battles fought however were on the home front of Venice off the coast of Anzio, Italy and in the Venetian Lagoon itself.

  A fleet under the command of Pisani was able to defend the Venetian Lagoon but a year later lost at the battle of Pola.  Pisani survived with only six of his ships.

   Pisani was imprisoned for five years and forbidden to hold public office.  This was devastating for Venice because their other leading naval commander Admiral Carlo Zeno was in the eastern Mediterranean with another fleet.

 With Admiral Carlo Zeno off the Turkish coast the only ships remaining to defend Venice were the six battered ships that Admiral Pisani returned with.

  Lucky for Venice Genoa had lost most of their leadership during the battle of Pola, and their offense was delayed waiting for a replacement admiral and his captains.

 With this brief break in the action the whole population of Venice rose to the call, strengthening the defenses of Venice. Some of the wealthy families put their entire treasury at the disposal of the state. Many nobles outfitted ships and subsidized the cost of reinforcing defensive positions.

 As the reinforcement of defenses was taking place, the Venetian lands on mainland Italy were also under attack by 5000 Hungarians and their Genoese allies.

 Soon an advance party of Genoese naval ships were in sight of the city, just outside Lido, which had been reinforced with very strong walls and a triple moat.

 Three heavy tree trunks were chained together lying across the entrance to the Lagoon and markers showing the channel leading into the Lagoon were removed to confuse the ships unfamiliar with the local waters.

 An army of 4000 mounted Calvary, 2000 infantry, and a large force of crossbow archers gathered at a point on a chain of small islands outside of the lagoon which were constantly patrolled by armed patrol craft to prevent any form of communication with the Genoese fleet and any scout parties shore side.

 The defenses were completed just in time whereas a Genoese fleet of 47 galleys appeared Aug 6th, 1377, under the command of Genoese Admiral Pietro Doria.

  The Genoese fleet appeared off of Chioggia which lay in the marshes in the southern end of the Venetian Lagoon.

 The Genoese fleet sailed down from the north, burning and pillaging its way down the coast, until it reached Chioggia where the line of barrier islands met the mainland, hopping to meet with a land based invasion force.

 Chioggia was guarded by a brigade of 3000 soldiers.  This brigade was defeated on Aug 16th 1377 after a long battle with great loss of life on both sides.

 This is the first time in Venetian history that a fortified city inside the lagoon commanding a deep water channel leading to the city itself was in the hands of the enemy.

 At this point the disgraced Admiral Pisani was released from prison and appointed supreme command of the cities defenses.  Moral was raised immediately among the citizens and work was started immediately on forty galleons and they were built and made ready in record time.

 A new defensive wall was completed within fourteen days. A boom was drawn across the western end of Grand Canal and this was also protected by ships with rockets on board.

 After giving considerable thought to the situation Admiral Pietro Doria decided to blockade the city instead of attacking it.  The Venetians were able to send a small group to patrol craft under the command of Commodore Giovanni de Cavalli, which intercepted three Genovese ships guarding a mainland fort, and destroyed them without taking prisoners.

 Commodore Giovanni de Cavalli then made a slow advancement along the island chain and recaptured Malamocco. When winter approached Admiral Doria pulled his fleet inside of the city of Chioggia.  This was an opportunity that Admiral Pisani was waiting for.

 Chioggia was almost land locked except for three narrow channels. Admiral Pistani sunk a large bolder in each of the three channels.  The Venetian blockading expedition set out on December 21, 1379.

 Admiral Pisani was on the lead vessel accompanied by the Duke of Venice, the operation sinking boulders into the three channels was successful and the Genoese fleet was bottled up inside the city.

 With the winter storms upon them the Venetians increased their patrols, not only of the three canals but also the northern entrance to the lagoon.  The Venetian forces were low on supplies, and were exhausted.

 On January 1st 1380, a welcome sight on the horizon as Admiral Carlo Zeno fleet sailed into view. The siege of Chioggia lasted into the spring when a new Genoese fleet arrived under the command of Admiral Marco Maruffo.

  Encountering Admiral Carlo Zeno fleet was too much for the Genoese Admiral to handle and on June 24th 1380 the 4000 starving Genoese sailors surrendered to the “Lion” Admiral Carlo Zeno.

 The entire city of Venice went totally crazy celebrating in the streets; the whole population took to boats and accompanied the Duke of Venice as he departed to meet Admiral Zeno’s fleet.  The victory of Chioggia was a victory for all the citizens of Venice, for the Duke of Venice, and especially for the “Lion” Carlo Zeno the savior of Venice.