Battle of Zonchio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Zonchio |
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| Part of the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1499–1503 | |||||||
 unknown Venetian artist, British Museum |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Republic of Venice | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Antonio Grimani | Kemal Reis Feriz Beg |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 46 light galleys 17 heavy galleys and 15 carracks |
260 ships, of which 60 were light galleys, and a small number of carracks. | ||||||
The Battle of Zonchio was a big naval battle. It is also known as the Battle of Sapienza or the First Battle of Lepanto. This battle happened over several days in August 1499. It was an important part of the Ottoman–Venetian War that lasted from 1499 to 1503.
Getting Ready for Battle
In January 1499, an Ottoman admiral named Kemal Reis sailed from Constantinople. He had 10 galleys and 4 other ships. In July, he met a huge Ottoman fleet sent by Davud Pasha. Kemal Reis then took command of this large fleet. Their goal was to fight a major war against the Republic of Venice.
The Ottoman fleet was very big, with 290 ships in total. This included 60 fast ships called galliots and a few large trading ships called carracks. The Venetian fleet was smaller. It had 17 heavy galleys, 46 light galliots, and about 15 carracks.
The Venetian fleet was led by Antonio Grimani. He was 65 years old. Grimani was a brave captain in smaller fights. However, he had never led such a large fleet before. He got the command because he gave a lot of money to the state. He also paid to equip 10 of his own galleys. Grimani was not given clear instructions on how to fight the battle.
The Battle Begins
In August, Kemal Reis and the large Ottoman fleet reached Cape Zonchio in the Ionian Sea. There, they met the Venetians. Many Venetian captains did not follow Grimani's orders to attack. Grimani himself seemed unsure and did not join the fight right away. His hesitation and unwillingness to attack led to problems for the Venetians.
On the second day of fighting, Grimani was very frustrated. He gave strict orders, saying that captains who refused to fight would face serious consequences. Even with these strong orders, and the arrival of four French galleys to help, Grimani sent only two ships out of 170 to fight the Ottomans. Surprisingly, both of these ships returned unharmed.
On August 25, the Venetians managed to capture some Ottoman galleys. But then, their organization broke down. While the Venetians were busy taking things from the captured ships, the Ottomans managed to take their ships back. The French ships, seeing this disorganization, left the Venetians. They sailed away to Rhodes.
During a very important part of the battle, two Venetian carracks attacked an Ottoman command ship. These carracks were led by Andrea Loredan and Alban d'Armer. The Ottoman commander, Burak Reis, could not get his ship free from the attacking Venetian ships. He decided to set his own ship on fire. The sight of these three big ships burning together greatly lowered the spirits of the Venetian sailors.
What Happened After
Antonio Grimani was arrested on September 29. He was sent away to the island of Cherso. However, Grimani later became the Doge of Venice (the leader of Venice) in 1521.
The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II gave 10 of the captured Venetian galleys to Kemal Reis. Kemal Reis then kept his fleet at the island of Cefalonia for a few months.
The Ottomans and Venetians fought again soon after. This was at the Second Battle of Lepanto, also known as the Battle of Modon. The Ottomans, again led by Kemal Reis, won this battle too.
See also
