Journey Map: Non-Flash Version

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Battle Sites

Michael spent almost half his career serving in the military fleet of Venice. He saw plenty of action, searching out pirates, assaulting towns, and fighting sea battles. This map shows where the most significant battles of Michael's life took place.

 

Points of Interest

Genoa - With one of the best harbors in the Mediterranean, the city of Genoa was a constant and fearsome commercial rival of Venice.

Michael participated as homo da remo in a campaign against Genoa which ended in a sea battle near the Adriatic port of Modone in 1403. Many years later, as comito in 1431, Michael was severely wounded in another bloody sea battle with the Genoese not far from Genoa itself.

Modone - Modone (ancient and modern Methone) was one of Venice's most important naval bases, guarding the entrance to the Adriatic. Almost all Venetian galleys called at Modone en route to their destination and again on their return to Venice.

In 1403, Michael witnessed the carnage of a sea battle fought against the Genoese by the Venetian fleet near Modone.

Michael likely visited Modone on almost every voyage he made to the east, and almost every time he served in the Guard.

Lepanto - Lepanto (the Italian name for the Greek city of Naupaktos) was a fortified hill town that possessed the best harbor on the northern coast of the Gulf of Corinth. The Venetians wanted to prevent the harbor from falling into the hands of the Turks, who would use it to raid Venetian ships and possessions in the Adriatic.

As nochiero, Michael participated in a successful assault on Lepanto in 1407. The town eventually fell to the Turks in 1444, but changed hands several times after that. It would gain fame in 1571 as the site of the battle between Venetians and Turks that finally stopped the Ottoman advance.

Salonika - The Byzantine Empire's second largest city, Salonika (also known as Thessalonica) derived its wealth from its rich agricultural hinterland. Byzantine Despot Andronikus Palaeologus sold the city to Venice in 1423. It remained in Venetian hands until captured by Ottoman ruler Murad II in 1430.

Michael fought in and around Salonika as comito in 1424 and 1425, and as armiraio in 1428 and 1429. He also visited Salonika on commercial voyages to the Black Sea as comito in 1421, 1426, and 1427.

Gallipoli - The fortified harbor of Gallipoli guarded the narrow straits leading from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmora and Constantinople. Controlled by the Ottoman Turks, it was a natural crossing place for armies going back and forth between Europe and Asia Minor.

Michael fought at and around Gallipoli as paron in 1416, as comito in 1424, and as armiraio in 1429.

Nicopolis - This ancient town was the site of a crushing defeat inflicted on Christian crusaders by Ottoman ruler Bayazed I in 1396. This defeat effectively eliminated any chance that Christian forces would halt Turkish expansion in Europe during Michael's lifetime.

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