The Siege of the Castle of Saint George or Siege of Cephalonia occurred from 8 November 1500 until 24 December 1500, when following a series of Venetian disasters at the hands of the Turks, the Spanish-Venetian army under Captain Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba succeeded in capturing the Ottoman stronghold of Cephalonia.
Cephalonia, one of the Ionian Islands off the western coast of Greece, had been in the hands of the Italian counts palatine of the Tocco family until 1479, when it was captured by the Ottoman Empire.[1] With the exception of a brief period of Venetian control in 1482–83, the island remained in Ottoman hands until 1500.[2]
The Second Ottoman–Venetian War broke out in 1499 with the Ottoman attack on the Venetian port of Lepanto on the Greek mainland, which surrendered on 24 August 1499. The war continued to go badly for Venice, as the Ottomans shifted their attention to the Morea and stormedModon on 9 August 1500, followed by the surrender thereupon of the neighbouring forts Coron and Navarino.[3] On 17 August 1500, however, the Spanish captain-general, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, offered the forces at his disposal to the aid of Venice. Aided by the Spanish fleet, the newly appointed Venetian captain-general of the Sea, Benedetto Pesaro, landed on Cephalonia and after a siege took the island's capital, the Castle of St. George, on 24 December.[4] The Spanish commander and his fleet returned to Sicily after that, but Pesaro went on to recover Santa Maura (Lefkada) as well in August 1502.
When a peace treaty was concluded in Constantinople in December 1502, Cephalonia remained in Venetian hands, but Lefkada was returned to Ottoman rule in 1503.[5]
Freely, John. The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaka and Beyond (2008) ISBN1-84511-696-8
Setton, Kenneth M. (1978). The Papacy and the Levant (1204–1571), Volume II: The Fifteenth Century. Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society. ISBN0-87169-127-2.
siege, castle, saint, george, siege, castle, georgepart, ottoman, venetian, 1499, 1503, 19th, century, depiction, gonzalo, córdoba, directing, assault, against, castledate8, november, december, 1500locationcephalonia, ionian, greeceresultspanish, venetian, vic. Siege of the Castle of St GeorgePart of the Ottoman Venetian War 1499 1503 19th century depiction of Gonzalo de Cordoba directing the assault against the castleDate8 November 24 December 1500LocationCephalonia Ionian Sea off GreeceResultSpanish Venetian victoryBelligerentsSpain Republic of VeniceOttoman EmpireCommanders and leadersGonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba Benedetto PesaroGisdar Aga Kemal Reis Feriz Beg The Siege of the Castle of Saint George or Siege of Cephalonia occurred from 8 November 1500 until 24 December 1500 when following a series of Venetian disasters at the hands of the Turks the Spanish Venetian army under Captain Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba succeeded in capturing the Ottoman stronghold of Cephalonia Cephalonia one of the Ionian Islands off the western coast of Greece had been in the hands of the Italian counts palatine of the Tocco family until 1479 when it was captured by the Ottoman Empire 1 With the exception of a brief period of Venetian control in 1482 83 the island remained in Ottoman hands until 1500 2 The Second Ottoman Venetian War broke out in 1499 with the Ottoman attack on the Venetian port of Lepanto on the Greek mainland which surrendered on 24 August 1499 The war continued to go badly for Venice as the Ottomans shifted their attention to the Morea and stormed Modon on 9 August 1500 followed by the surrender thereupon of the neighbouring forts Coron and Navarino 3 On 17 August 1500 however the Spanish captain general Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba offered the forces at his disposal to the aid of Venice Aided by the Spanish fleet the newly appointed Venetian captain general of the Sea Benedetto Pesaro landed on Cephalonia and after a siege took the island s capital the Castle of St George on 24 December 4 The Spanish commander and his fleet returned to Sicily after that but Pesaro went on to recover Santa Maura Lefkada as well in August 1502 When a peace treaty was concluded in Constantinople in December 1502 Cephalonia remained in Venetian hands but Lefkada was returned to Ottoman rule in 1503 5 Notes edit Setton 1978 pp 98 290 Setton 1978 p 515 note 40 Setton 1978 pp 515 522 Setton 1978 pp 522 523 Setton 1978 p 523References editFreely John The Ionian Islands Corfu Cephalonia Ithaka and Beyond 2008 ISBN 1 84511 696 8 Setton Kenneth M 1978 The Papacy and the Levant 1204 1571 Volume II The Fifteenth Century Philadelphia The American Philosophical Society ISBN 0 87169 127 2 38 12 00 N 20 30 00 E 38 2000 N 20 5000 E 38 2000 20 5000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Siege of the Castle of Saint George amp oldid 1208067080, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
