Message #104767

[Bianca]

                                                        VENICE VS GENOA






In the second half of the 14th C when we see the climax of the conflict between Venice and Genoa which had engaged them in a 150-year struggle and 4 wars for the control of the Mediterranean trading routes.

 In 1379 the city of Venice came near to being taken by assault.

Blockaded on all sides, Venice began to run out of food and supplies. The Genoese allied with the Paduans and took Chioggia (a fishermen village in the Southern Lagoon) by storm.

The Venetian backlash was remarkable and its success was possible thanks to the peculiar configuration of the lagoon environment. The lagoon waters are very shallow and navigable channels were known only to the natives.... even today they have to be marked by bricole. So, entrances to the lagoon were barricaded with large vessels chained together and enemies' lines of communication were cut by sinking stone-laden barges in the canals...

In June 1380 the Genoese surrendered.