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Battle of Zonchio
Part of the Ottoman-Venetian Wars (1499-1503)
unknown Venetian artist, British Museum
Date 25 August 1499 Location Zonchio, Ionian Sea Result Ottoman victory
Combatants
Republic of Venice	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
Antonio Grimani	Kemal Reis
Strength
47 galleys, 17 galliots, circa 100 small vessels [citation needed]	67 galleys, 20 galliots, circa 200 small vessels [citation needed]

"Göke" (1495) was the flagship of Kemal Reis at the Battle of Zonchio

The naval Battle of Zonchio (also known as the Battle of Sapienza or the First Battle of Lepanto) took place on four separate days: August 12, 20, 22 and 25, 1499. It was a part of the Ottoman-Venetian Wars of 1499-1503. It was the first naval battle in history where cannons were used on ships.

In January 1499 Kemal Reis set sail from Istanbul with a force of 10 galleys and 4 other types of ships, and in July 1499 met with the huge Ottoman fleet which was sent to him by Davud Pasha and took over its command in order to wage a large scale war against the Republic of Venice. The Ottoman fleet consisted of 67 galleys, 20 galliots and circa 200 smaller vessels.

After reaching Cape Zonchio in the Ionian Sea with the large Ottoman fleet in August 1499, Kemal Reis defeated the Venetian fleet of 47 galleys, 17 galliots and circa 100 smaller vessels under the command of Antonio Grimani. During the most critical stage of the battle, two Venetian carracks, captained by Andrea Loredan (a member of the influential Loredan family of Venice) and by Alban d'Armer, boarded one of the command ships of the Turkish fleet. The commander of the vessel, Burak Reis, was unable to disentangle his ship from the boarders and chose to set her aflame. The sight of the three great ships burning together dealt a severe blow to the Venetian morale.^[1]

Antonio Grimani was arrested on September 29 but was eventually released. Grimani later became the Doge of Venice in 1521. The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II gifted 10 of the captured Venetian galleys to Kemal Reis, who later stationed his fleet at the island of Cefalonia between October and December, 1499.

The Turks and Venetians soon confronted each other for a second time at the Second Battle of Lepanto, which is also known as the Battle of Modon, and the Turks were once again victorious under Admiral Kemal Reis.

1. ^ Sydney N. Fisher: The Foreign Relation of Turkey, 1481-1512, Chap.6

• History of the Turkish Navy
• History of the Republic of Venice
• History of the Ottoman Empire

• Sydney N. Fisher: The Foreign Relation of Turkey, 1481-1512, Chapter VI: War with Venice, 1499-1503
• John E. Dotson: Foundations of Venetian Naval Strategy from Pietro II Orseolo to the Battle of Zonchio

Military history of the Ottoman Empire Portal