Francesco Antonio Bertucci facts for kids

Francesco Antonio Bertucci was a friar (a type of monk) and a knight from Dalmatia, a region in Croatia. He was known for trying very hard to unite Christian groups against the Ottoman Empire. His main goal was to turn a long war into a big Christian alliance, called a Holy League, to fight the Ottomans.

He was from the town of Hvar and was related to poets Jerolim and Hortenzije Brtučević. Bertucci was also part of the Holy League of Pope Clement VIII. In 1592, while in Rome, Bertucci helped the Pope by capturing a rebel leader named Marco Sciarra.

Plans to Fight the Ottomans

Bertucci was a key person in plans for an uprising in the eastern Adriatic region around 1596. Some people believe he wanted to recapture the Priory of Vrana from the Ottomans. This was a monastery in Vrana, a town in present-day Croatia, where he was a leader.

Bertucci's Role

Some historical records from Venice saw Bertucci as an agent working for the Pope. Other sources thought he was just an adventurer who managed to get close to Emperor Ferdinand II.

Elisabeth Springer, an Austrian historian, studied Bertucci's life. She found that Bertucci first tried to get the Pope's help to start a big uprising in the Balkans. He wanted to organize a Christian alliance, or Holy League, against the Ottomans. These early attempts were not successful.

Working for the Empire

Springer concluded that Bertucci was actually working for the Holy Roman Empire. He first got support from Archduke Ferdinand of Graz. Later, he gained the trust of Emperor Ferdinand II and his court.

Bertucci's plan was for rebels, including a group called the Uskoks, to capture important places. These included Klis, Herceg Novi, and Scutari from the Ottomans. He believed this would make the Ottomans send a large navy to the northern Adriatic. This would then force the Venetians, who didn't want to join the alliance, to finally join the fight against the Ottomans.

Moving the Conspiracy

In the early 1590s, Bertucci and his friends planned their anti-Ottoman actions in Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik). There were rumors that the Republic of Ragusa might kick them out. This was because the Ottomans offered Ragusa benefits if they did. So, the group moved their planning base to Split.

In 1595, Bertucci also tried to convince Rufim Njeguš, a religious leader, to unite his church with the Catholic Church.

The Battle of Klis

On April 7, 1596, a group of Uskoks and some Venetian citizens attacked the Ottoman-held fortress of Klis. They managed to capture it with help from some of the Ottoman soldiers inside.

Reinforcements and Defeat

Joint troops from the Habsburgs and the Papal State were sent to help the Christian soldiers in the newly captured fortress. These troops were led by Antonio Bertucci himself and came from the port of Senj.

However, the Ottoman forces first defeated these reinforcement troops. Then, they quickly took back the Klis fortress. The Habsburg general who was supposed to lead the relief troops blamed Bertucci for this loss.

Capture and Ransom

Bertucci was captured during this battle. He was held by the Ottomans for a short time until he was freed after a ransom was paid. This defeat made it harder for him to convince other Christian leaders in the Balkans to rebel against the Ottomans.

See also

In Spanish: Francesco Antonio Bertucci para niños