Battle of Settepozzi

The Battle of Settepozzi was fought in the first half of 1263. It was the last major naval battle between the two sides before the end of the 13th century. The outcome of the battle was not known until the 16th century, when it was written off as a defeat by Giuseppe Girolamo de’Medici.

About Battle of Settepozzi in brief

Summary Battle of SettepozziThe Battle of Settepozzi was fought in the first half of 1263. Genoa and the Byzantines had been allied against Venice since the Treaty of Nymphaeum in 1261. In 1263, a Genoese fleet of 48 ships, which was sailing to the Byzantine stronghold of Monemvasia, encountered a Venetian fleet of 32 ships. The Venetians captured four vessels and inflicted considerable casualties. After the battle, the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos began to distance himself from their alliance with Genoa, and restored their relations with Venice, concluding a five-year non-aggression pact in 1268. The Genoies avoided confrontation with the Venetia, instead focusing on commerce raiding. The Battle of Trapani was a lopsided and complete defeat for Genoa in 1266. The Byzantine–Genoese squadron broke out in Morea where Michael VIII dispatched an expeditionary force against the Principality of Achaea.

Despite initial successes, attempts to conquer the entirety of the principality were decisively defeated by some 6,000 men and four admirals. Some time in early 1263 a Genoa fleet of 38 galleys and 10,000 crew, commanded by four admiral and commanded by Makryplagi, sailed to Morea and was decisively defeated at the Princesa Prinitza. The battle ended in a stalemate, with the Genoes refusing to engage the Byzantine force and the Princes of the Achaea finally conquering the principality in 1264. It was the last major naval battle between the two sides before the end of the 13th century. The outcome of the battle was not known until the 16th century, when it was written off as a defeat for the Genoa–Byzantine fleet by the Italian chronicler Giuseppe Girolamo de’Medici. The Battle of SettEPozzi was fought off the island of Sebetozzi, in the Adriatic Sea, and lasted for two days.