411 Years, 11 months and 11 days

Introduction

Corfu’s inextricable relation with Venice dates back to the Golden Bulla of 1386, with which Corfu of cially requested its annexation to the Venetian stato da mar.

The dynastic crises of European rulers, their interplay in the region, the collapse of the Byzantine empire, and the rising Turkish threat urged the islanders to seek protection from the supreme maritime power of the time: the Serenissima Republic of Venice. On May 28, 1386, the Venetian ag with the lion, symbol of the Apostle Mark, was raised on the Old Fortress, and Corfu’s citizens stayed with it 411 years, 11 months and 11 days, until Napoleon dissolved the Republic in 1797.

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The constant Ottoman expansion collided with the interests of Venice, resulting to seven wars for the defense of its territory, its citizens and its way of life, making Corfu of paramount importance to the city of the lagoon. The clash is epitomized in the landmark battle of Lepanto in 1571, which builds the central focus of the eBook’s storytelling. Corfu becomes Venice’s key to the Adriatic Sea and the defense of Corfu was constantly

upgraded by Venice’s famous engineers from the earlier use of medieval forti cations to the transformation into the 18th century.

Napoleon resolved the Republic of Venice in 1797, taking possession of the Ionian islands. Shortly after the European powers established a semiautonomous state, the Settinsular Republic (1807-1814), which was succeeded by the British rule (1815-1863), until nally the Ionian islands united with Greece in 1864.

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Venice, a unique Renaissance state, created a wonder, achieved through the skills of its peoples and the mastery of the seas. Corfu is the place where the legacy of Venice has put outside its terra ferma, an indelible mark in culture and architecture,

creating Corfu’s unique character visible today. The eBook “411 Years, 11 Months and 11 Days” follows the historical and cultural itinerary of Corfu as the “Daughter of Venice”, supporting the mother with blood and sacri ces against the Ottoman expansion from the Renaissance to the Modern Era until the uni cation of Corfu with Greece in 1864, through the testimonies of the protagonists. Ten stories developed around ten monuments in the Unescolisted Old City of Corfu narrate the stories, disclose the passions and present the people and their struggles, dressed up in music, colors and emotions.

Old Fortress

In 1386 the Cor otes have voluntarily requested the Senate in Venicen to protect their island to the Republic from the constant threat of the Turks. Corfù became the key to the defense of the Adriatic and a crucial node for trade during the Venetian domination on the island (1386-1797).

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The Old Fortress covers the promontory which initially contained the old town of Corfù emerged during Byzantine times. It has been turned into an island by Venice’s famous engineers.

Fifteen days in hell, 1537 Eyewitnes Nicandro Nucchio, 1547

How can I recall without tears these events that fell upon you my sweet fatherland? God forbid I wished I had never witnessed them.

A Sultan in rag Sultan Suleiman Han, Military Council, 1536

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Do you know my Pashas how this greedy race, the Venetians, call a little island in the west waters? La boca del gulfo! And why? Because this island lies at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea and is the key to their defense. But in the same fashion as I have taken Rodos from the despicable Knights of the Hospital, I will take Corfù from the city of the lagoon! The embassy I have sent to those robber merchants was declined! Their Doge, Gritti, has dared to defy us and scorn the alliance I close with Francis, king of the French against Carlo, the King of Germany, Austria and Spain, who thinks of himself to be the Emperor of Europe! This insult can be answered only

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That is why I am pouring all this money to support these revolting Christians, who call themselves Protestants: to weaken all the in dels and make them turn against each other. And if they resist and don’t convert, then the holy sword of our faith will cut their life thread. These greedy merchants, who are assisting Carlo prepare for war behind our back, will not be allowed to commerce to their bene t at the east lanes of my Empire! Thus, I order you to harass the ships of the Venetians so that they return re, and then off we are to install the crescent on the walls of Corfù! My orders are: if the locals resist, execute the males and send the women and the children to the slave markets. The more booty we have, the happier the janissaries.

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by the sword! But the time has come that he will be broken by Sultan Suleyman Han of the House of the Osman!

Andrea Gritti, Doge della Serenissima Repubblica, 1537

Francesco, the King of Francia, had nothing else in his mind but how to act against his eternal rival, Imperatore Carlo, in whose lands, the sun never sets. For this reason, he negotiated last year a commercial alliance and eternal peace with Solimano, Rè de Turchi! This agreement, a scandal for the whole Christendom, allowed Solimano to move against Italy, and Corfù lies on his way.

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Lufti Pasha and Hayreddin Barbarossa were plundering Illyria, when Solimano joined them with 7.000 men. His eet arrived in Corfù, without ravaging as there is a peace treaty signed with us. Imperatore Carlo is not in a position to help, thus gave the order to the admiral Andrea Doria to disable the vessels of the barbarians from acting. Doria did not face the eet of the Turks, but keeps ambushing it and attacks only if he traces an isolated part of the eet cleverly staying within his territorial waters.

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An unholy agreemen

Useless mouth Luigi da Riva, Proveditore Generale, 4th of September, 1537

Solimano set up his tent on the opposite shore on the land and with 50 galleys he transported another 25000 Turks. The rst thing this barbarian did was to destroy the countryside and plunder those parts that could not be defended, mercilessly killing the locals. On August 31 they started siege preparations, setting up three artillery barracks with eight, ve and eleven cannons, which began ring on the walls. I prayed to the Almighty God for help, for if the siege was lost, what would be the future of the other cities of the Serenissima?

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We have suf ciency in everything but food, and if the siege is not lifted soon, in the end we will be forced to surrender. To avoid doing so, with broken heart and tears we urged ourselves to make this unspeakable decision to send all the useless mouths outside the walls. It is unbearable to see the elderly who fought for the

Republic, the women and children abandoned between the lines of the Turks and our walls, once running and once sitting on the ground motionless. And it is a miracle indeed that the Cor otes inside the walls are not intimidated by the cries of their families, which pierce our souls and touch our honor. And when the old men showed the scars, they had on their bodies from past battles in the service of the Serenissima, all the other Christians inside the walls, wanted to die so as not to survive such a spectacle.

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Nevertheless, they are determined to abide by the orders, sacri cing their families to save Christendom. The persecuted, nding no protection from us, seek refuge in the pits, while the defenders are doubly beaten, bombarded by both the enemy’s bombs and the cries of their relatives. I can’t tell which blows were more deadly, the rst kill the bodies, the second the souls. To these evils are added the storms that sowed destruction and death to those abandoned by us who were already being tested by hunger. And, seeing them, suffer so, we accompanied the storm with our tears.

20 thousand slave Nicandro Nucchio, Eyewitness of the Siege of Corfu, 1537

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The siege came to an end after fteen days. The Venetian army and eet under Pesaro and Doria and the bravery of the Cor otes forced Solimano to retreat, but he did more damage when he left. More than 20,000 souls were taken slaves. His troops killed those, who they did not think would be of any use to them or would not survive the journey to the slave markets. But not only men had to pay a price, the cattle too. They carried those animals they could feed and killed all the other mixing the corpses of dying men and horses, cows, dogs, donkeys and carrions together. When they nally embarked their ships and left, the besieged who came out of their fortresses and hides, found nothing but decaying

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corpses all around them, burnt houses, poisoned wells, destroyed churches, molested cemeteries and tombs with human remains unearthed, as the barbarians searched the tombs for valuables. The countryside was so devastated that only a deformed skeleton remained of its beautiful body. The elds and plains promised nothing but hunger. The trees were useless trunks without owers and the fruit trees, if they had no fruit to offer, became food for the re. The noblest buildings were a pile of broken stones, wood and marble. The villages had no longer houses, the neighborhoods became animal shelters. In addition to the old men, women and children who had died outside the walls, many nobles died inside, so that the Council had no counselors. Thus, ended the siege of Corfù which lasted fteen days and the people of Corfù should be proud of that, because they had no traitors among them as it was the case in Rodi, which was lost to the Turks by betrayal.

Annunziata Annunziata was built in 1394 and developed into one of the most important religious centers of the Latin Church in Corfù.

On October 7, 1571 one of the greatest Christian victories took place in Lepanto. The remains of the Latin soldiers who were killed in battle were interred in Annunziata. Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, who fought in Lepanto, recovered from his wounds in the cells of Annunziata. On the 13th of September 1943, the German Luftwaffe bombed and burned the historic center of Corfù. Only the Bell Tower of Annunziata stands today as the memorial of the Lepanto Battle in Corfù.

Didascalia

The End of the Terror, 7th of October 1571 Don Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, Corfù, 1572

The glorious battle, we won in Lepanto nally put an end to the myth of the invincible Turks. We won because we were allied and not divided and because we fought with self-sacri ce.

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Those who, by the Grace of God survived, have a sacred duty to glorify its name by narrating the events. Despite all the atrocities Sultano Selimo in icted on the Christian lands, he did not realize his dream. But let me narrate all the events from the start:

Clash of Value The Balanc Benedetto Ramberti, Libri tre delle cose de' Turchi, 1534

Our society stands for the perfect balance between liberty and order and for the harmonization of competing interests: Pane in piazza e giustizia in palazzo. Their society is nothing but a huge military slave camp in which all distinctions of birth are abolished in a common servitude. The pashas and the Sultano himself are not really secure, since they are threatened by palace intrigues and the inbred jealousies of the tyrant's court.

Obedienc Domenico Trevisan, Envoy of the Serenissima Repùblica di Vinegia in Constantinopoli, 1554

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The Sultano rules less by love than by fear; no one has tasted the fruit of freedom, no one has even heard its name. No one has rights as we do in our city, and an event like the strike of the oarsmen in 1512, which I personally witnessed on my way to Cairo, is merely unthinkable in the lands of the tyrant.

The Richest Gift Antonio Barbarigo, Envoy of the Serenissima in Constantinopoli, 1558

There are no truly free men in the domains of the Sultano; the whole population surrenders its property and its children at his pleasure. Nevertheless, we are honored more than any other foreigners, perhaps because we bring the richest gifts.

Three condition Daniele Barbarigo, Bailo of the Serenissima in Constantinopoli, 1567

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All the subjects of the Gran-Signor, owe life and property to his majesty, bear him the greatest obedience they can, thinking of nothing but to serve him; but the subjects of the Christians, know that much respect is owed to themselves. This Gran-Signor is most powerful because he has many countries under his control, and great obedience from the populace; and because he has enough money. These three things alone would suf ce in my opinion to make him invincible.

Levied boy Marcantonio Barbaro, Bailo in Costantinopoli, 1567

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Your Excellence, as it is my duty to inform you about the movements of the Grand Turk, I humbly remind you also on his motives: each new caliph of the Islamic empire is expected to expand the existing Muslim territories, in order to ful ll Islam's mission and gain for the leader the necessary popularity and legitimacy. So, it is scheduled that in the pleasant springtime, an entire Muslim eet under Ali Pasha shall destroy Christian dominance in the Mediterranean Sea, all the way up to our Republic. This will leave us very little time for war preparations because in contrast to us who use free men to recruit the galleys and the land forces, while the principal riches of the Turks are the slaves. These are the boys levied in the devshirme and taken from the subjugated Christian families; those young men who serve unhappily chained to the oars and others who serve in diverse other fatiguing labors. These slave forces give the enemy a

The Messag Selim, Ottoman Sultan, Emperor of the Turks, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Shadow of God, Lord of the Earthly Paradise and of Jerusalem, to the Signory of Venice, 28 May 1570

We demand of you Cyprus, which you shall give Us willingly or unwillingly or per force; and do not irritate our horrible sword, for We shall wage most cruel war against you everywhere; nor let you trust in your treasure, for We shall cause it suddenly to run away from you like a torrent; beware to irritate Us.

Sacra Liga Antiturc Michele Surian, Venetian Ambassador to the Curia, 25th of May 1571

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The Christian states woke up, put aside their differences for a while, and on the initiative of Pope Pius formed the Sacra Liga Antiturca on May 25, 1571. Spain, Venice, Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy, Malta and other smaller cities on the Italian peninsula are now allies in faith. It is decided to set up a eet and send it to defend the eastern Mediterranean. The navy, will be led by the young Spanish prince Don Juan of Austria, brother of King Philipp.

Pietro Valderio, Viscount of the City of Famagusta, 5th of August 1571

On the 5th of August His Excellence Capitano Bragadin sent word to Mustafa Pasha to present him with the keys of Famagusta. He set off the same evening accompanied by governor Astore Baglioni and a company of soldiers.

They were received with every courtesy, but then, without a reason, Mustafa Pasha began hurling accusations, that His Excellence had murdered Turkish prisoners: “Do you think that I do not know that you have murdered them all?

Tell me, you hound, why did you hold the fortress when you had the chance not to do so? Why did you not surrender a month ago, why did you make me lose 80,000 of the best men?”

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And all of a sudden, he sprang and cut off His Excellence’s right ear, ordering the cut off of the other and the nose. Then, he ordered his guards to execute all the Christians, whose heads piled up outside his tent.

Capitano Bragadin was held for a fortnight imprisoned, while his wounds were festering and he was already seriously ill. Then he was dragged round the walls, with sacks of earth and stones on his back; next, tied into a chair, he was hoisted to the yardarm of the Turkish agship and exposed to the mock of the sailors.

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The Keys of Famagust

Finally, he was taken to the place of execution in the main square, tied naked to a column and ayed alive. After the grim task was completed, his head was cut off, his body quartered, and his skin, stuffed with straw and cotton and mounted on a cow, was paraded through the streets.

Thus, the city of Famagusta, the last refuge in Cipro was lost on the 5th of August 1571, thanks to the fact that we were left abandoned, and if the quarrels continue, Christendom will fall.

The Scribe of the Grand Vizie Ahmet Efendi, Scribe of the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha, 23rd of August 1571

An army of 100,000 opened the siege, against a force of 15,000 behind the walls. Under their general a small force held out for week after week, despite receiving more than 180,000 incoming cannonballs. But they ran so short of food that in the end we heard they were eating cats and dogs and horses, until they consumed them all. On August 1, they nally accepted the surrender terms, which guaranteed safe passage of their men, and safety to all citizens of the walled city.

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Their general imprudently walked with the full scarlet regalia of his of ce out from the walls and down to the tent of our victorious commander, behaving, not like a defeated general but as a victor! He walked in state,

An exchange started about the guarantees of safekeeping for the return of our ships from Crete, still in Venetian hand. Our Grand Vizier demanded a hostage from among their nobles, to ensure that the ships be returned to us. But, despite being defeated, their general cursed angrily, “You shan’t have a noble, you shan’t even have a dog!” With much patience our Grand Vizier asked where the pious Muslims were. “Those Muslim captives were not under my control,” he said. “The native lords killed them on the day of the surrender.”

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“Then,” said our Grand Vizier, “you have broken the treaty”. The bleeding heads of his guard piled up just outside the tent of our Grand Vizier, who ordered the in del's ears and nose be chopped off, and forced the man to go down on all fours wearing a dog's collar around his neck, to the horror of the onlookers. He was reminded that he offended on May 25 our Grand Vizier sending a written insult: “I shall make you walk before my horse and clear away on your back the earth you have lled our ditch with.” For this offense the in del was made to carry bags of earth to the walls of the forti cation, and

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preceded by trumpeters. A crimson parasol was carried above his head as the symbol of his of ce. With him went the other commanders and a personal guard—about 300 men in all. They left their arms and entered the tent of our Grand Vizier.

to kiss the earth our Grand Vizier walked on. As he grew fainter from the loss of blood from his head, he was tied to a chair, put in a rope harness and hoisted up to the highest mast in the eet, so that all survivors of the city might see his humiliation. Then his chair was dropped in free fall into the water and brought out again.

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Finally, he was led in ropes to the town square and stripped. At a stone column, his hands were tied outstretched over his head, and an executioner stepped forward with sharp knives to carefully remove his skin, keeping it whole. Before the carver had reached his waist, he died. Then his body was divided in four pieces, which we paraded through the city, with castanets ad trumpets, and nally hung them in the Towers at the Diamante, the Arsenal, the cavalier at the Limassol gate and the bulwarks of Andruzzi. His full skin was then stuffed with straw, once again raised up to the highest mast, and sailed around to various ports as a trophy of victory.

Nestor Martinengo, soldier at the siege of Famagusta, 6th of December 1571

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The Grand Vizier entered Famagusta on the 7th of August, the second day after the slaughter. I was hidden in Cypriotes houses for ve days. When the risk became too great, I presented myself to the Turks, who sold me into slavery for 500 golden coins. After 42 days being a slave, French merchants bought me free. Knowing the evil ways of the Turks, I hired a boat from a Greek sherman, with two oars and a bit of a sail made from two shirts and managed to get to Tripoli on the Syrian coast.

Again, I lay hidden in Christian houses, until I boarded a small French ship setting out on its return voyage. The ship touched on Cipro at Capo delle Gatte, where I landed and talked to some peasants, who told me that the Turks already ruined the island and now the Cypriotes realized how bene cial was the Venetian rule, praying that we might return.

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500 zecchini d’or

This means we ght Sebastiano Venier, Capitano Generale da Mar della Serenissima, 2nd of October 1571

On 2 October 1571 at Gomenizza, Gian Andrea Doria, admiral of the Generalissimo of the Sacra Liga, Don Juan d’Austria, came to inspect the Venetian eet! Although reluctant and resentful I accepted him to do so. But this is not all. In the afternoon a quarrel arose between Andrea Calergi, sopracomito of one of my galleys and Muzio Alticozzi, who was in the service of the Spaniards.

I sent of cers to settle the dispute, but Muzio and his men red and wounded my three of cers, causing the death of two. And then I had them hanged.

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Don Juan, high commander of the Sacra Liga and brother of king Philipp of Spain, who considered my act, usurpation of his authority instead of an act for discipline, felt that it was less of an accomplishment to defeat the Turks than to control himself against me! His counselors advised him to hang me on a yardarm, but the sage advice of the Pope’s admiral, Marcantonio Colonna,

No more talkin Don Alvaro de Bazan y Santa Cruz, Commander of the Reserve Division of the Sacra Liga in Lepanto

By the end of September 1571, we were eager to meet the enemy before the winter turned the seas choppy and un t for battle. Finally, we heard that an enormous Muslim eet was sailing near to land toward the Gulf of Lepanto.

“No more talking”, told Don Juan to all the leading admirals. “Now, battle!” In plain sight was his capital ship, La Real, its banners of leadership visible to all.

Six Galeasses Agostino Barbarigo, Vice-Capitano Generale da Mar della Serenissima, 7th of October 1571

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The huge green battle ag of Allah, his name embroidered on it in Arabic some 29,800 times, marked out the tall capital ship Sultana commanded by Ali Pasha. The Turks master the art of ramming and boarding onto the enemy decks and conduct hand-tohand combat well. But Don Juan had a nasty surprise for

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prevailed. So, when we nally sighted the Turkish eet, Don Juan came to the stern of my galley and said: “This means we ght?” and I replied: “One can do no less!” At this point thousands of soldiers and mariners realized all too well that at long last the inevitable hour has come.

Carnage Marino Contarini, Capitano da Mar, 7th of October 1571

When Agostino Barbarigo, my uncle and naval commander of the Serenissima Repubblica, lifted the visor of his helmet to give an order, an arrow entered his right eye piercing his brain. Then Mahomet Scirocco captured his agship the Capitana Lanterna destroying the left wing.

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I immediately boarded the Capitana with all my people, and fought onboard the ercest combat of all on that memorable day. All was madness, fury, carnage and terror, until the Turks were expelled from the Capitana and Mahomet Scirocco was beheaded and thrown into the water. At the last, the two capital ships La Real and Sultana clashed head-on, and Don Juan led the nal boarding party which in its ferocity drove Ali Pasha to the

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Ali Pasha. Six new, taller, sturdier ships built in our Arsenale, packed with cannons and heavily laden with lead placed themselves a mile forward of the Christian line. No one had ever seen such ships before. They look at on top, like the merchant ships. They lack the necessary weapon for vicious ramming. For the purpose of the galleasses, as they are called, is not to ram oncoming ships but to blast them with cannons. They sank the Muslim galleys with a single burst.

aft poop, where he soon fell with a bullet in his eye. His head was cut off and borne aloft on a pike to be mounted on the bow of the La Real.

The sea around was lled with cloaks, caps, bodies, wreckage of battle, and large splotches of blood. In four hours, the battle was over. With the death of their leaders, the Turks ed leaving the remnants of their eet in our hands and we freed 10,000 Christian galley slaves, most of them of Greek origin. We think that more than 40,000 men must have died, and thousands more were wounded, more than in any other battle I have heard of.

God willing that never again a Muslim eet poses a threat to Europe!

What we have nally learn Marcantonio Colonna, High Commander of the Fleet of the Holy Seat, 8th of October1571

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With the help of the Almighty God and your blessing, Your Holiness, we have defeated the enemy near the Curzolari Islands, which the Greeks call Echinades. The Turks had 260 exclusively rowing ships with 47,000 men on board, while our allied eet also had sailing ships, which nobody has seen before. There were no longer Venetians, Genoese, Neapolitans, or Spanish in this battle: we were Christians, whose zeal was fueled by the images of fallen Cyprus and the fate of the Marcantonio Bragadin in the hands of the antichrist. With three well-

aimed shots, we plunged the rst enemy galley into the great grief of Ali Pasha, who began to pull his beard, feeling the end approaching. From their proud eet only 50 ships were rescued, and we think about 20.000 of his soldiers to be dead, including Ali Pasha, whose ag and head decorate now La Real of Don Juan.

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We lost 8.000 soldiers, the Greeks made half of the dead, because they were engaged as free oarsmen, of cers and galley captains on our ships and as chained slaves on the Turkish ships. The Greek forces came from Corfù, Zante, and Candia. There is also a large number of Greeks also serving in the Spanish and the Italian eet.

Corfù sent us 4 galleys, while Cirigo, Cephalonia and Zante assisted with other ships. Candia gave us 22 galleys and another 6 were supplied by owners of Greek descent because for them, a victory of our holy faith would be a glimmer of hope for freedom from the Turkish yoke. Candia has provided the Holy Alliance with 7,000 soldiers and 9,000 rowers, men of particular valor.

Generalissimo Don Juan said that they made the most militant part of the Venetian eet. Alas, more than 15.000 Greeks forcibly recruited in the territories of the Sultan rowed on the enemy’s galleys. But several explosions broke their chains and they revolted against the Turks, helping us a great deal. In Lepanto we have nally learned, Your Holiness, that the Turks are people like us.

Vittoria, vittoria!

Paolo Veronese, 1572

In Venèsia, lamentations for the fall of Cipro were replaced with cheers of “Vittoria! Vittoria!” We were proud of Lepanto and like Don Juan d’ Austria, we believe the Madonna helped our victory. Papa Pio in Roma declared the day of the battle, October 7, henceforth to be celebrated as the Feast of Madonna Vittoriosa. I decided to paint the Battle of Lepanto. Above the warring eets, which are almost an afterthought in this composition, are the heavens in which the patron saints of the states that joined the Crusade are seen imploring the Madonna to assist the valiant Christians below. All over Italy, paintings were commissioned to honor the epic battle. Tiziano, Tintoretto, myself and El Greco in Toledo painted with great enthusiasm and faith.

L’ Aquila di Corfù Anna Picerni, Calafationes, 1571

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When our nobility swore allegiance to the Signoria in 1386, we took the obligation to equip and man three galleys. So, this spring, when the Signoria prepared for

war, the noble Cor otes offered four ships: Christo di Corfù, whose captain Misser Condocolli managed to capture the ship of the Pasha di Rodi, San Michiele and the Angelo di Corfù under Cochini and Carchiopulo. This May, in the presence of a notary my brother, Teodoro Picerni, agreed to replace another sailor, Antoni Mavro in the galley Aquila di Corfù of the nobile Pietro Boua.

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I was told that the Aquila was captured while it rushed to cover a gap that threatened the centre of the Christian line. Misser Pietro Boua was skinned alive by the renegade Luzzali Pasha, of whom is said that is of Italian origin! I cannot think of a greater treason than ghting for the antichrist. And so now, where all Christendom is celebrating this unexpected and great victory, here I am soaking in tears for my brother, for there is certainty that I will not see him again and I will not bury his remains. And I don’t dare to think about his dreadful end together with the other sailors of the galley.

Silver Anchors and Satin Sail Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, Grand Vizier of Sultan Selim Han, 28th of October 1571

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We did not seriously expect an enemy attack as the Christians lacked the courage to meet us. Our eet reached the coast of Lepanto in September and raided the Venetian-held regions. However, many of the men deserted and never returned to their ships, which were left unmanned. The majority of the rowers were chained Greek slaves, who moved as clumsily as possible making dif cult to navigate, but sank with the ships. The winter approached and the army disintegrated. The admiral Ali Pasha had no knowledge of maritime affairs, let alone naval warfare. The allied Christian eet attacked us from the sea side and sent to the bottom of the sea our agship. Some 194 ships were either sunk or captured by the in dels. Only Uluç Ali Pasha managed to save a small squadron of galleys.

Now, a battle can be won or lost according to Allah’s will.

But in 5 months our Arsenal completed the construction of the navy, bringing all the material and labor from the provinces who were made to pay extra taxes for this cause. Our state is so powerful, that if it wishes, it can cast anchors from silver, make rigging from silk and cut sails from satin. I told to their envoy: “Our courage has not faded away after the Battle of Lepanto. We ceded from you Cyprus where you had a kingdom, thus we cut off one of your arms. You defeated our eet which meant nothing more than shaving our beard. A missing arm cannot be replaced but a shaved beard grows thicker.”

The Cells of Annunziat Don Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, Corfù, 1572

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On October 7, 1571, there was unrest in the Gulf of Lepanto. Thousands of ships were preparing for battle.

Soon one of the biggest naval battles in world history would take place. And I was there serving as an of cer on the Italian galley La Marquesa. On that day I was cooking in fever, suffering from malaria constantly seeing hallucinations. I was wrapped in scrambled blankets while the rats circled around me. When I heard the crew scream and realized that the battle had begun, I tossed

the covers over me and climbed onto the deck, waving.

The galley captain saw me and ordered me to return to the barn, but I replied: It is better for me to die serving God and the King than to go down. Thus, capitano, I ask you to put me in the most dangerous place and there I will die ghting.

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At rst, the two eets spotted each other on the horizon as single masts. Then they were visible in small numbers, and only as the two eets approached for combat could 200,000 sailors, marines, and janissaries catch a glimpse of one another. This was the most noble and memorable event ever seen. The naval battle ended with the triumph of the allied forces. I received two bullets in the chest and another in my left arm, which is now paralyzed. But my joy in ghting the enemies of our faith was such that I did not sense the pain of the injuries. It turned out that the Turks were not invincible. Later I was transported to Corfù and I was treated in the small hospital maintained by Catholic monks. In the cells of Annunziata, I, Don Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, proud soldier of the Holy League, recovered in the winter of 1572 from my wounds obtained during the sea battle of Lepanto.

Spianata

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Spianata is the main square of the city and the meeting place of the inhabitants and visitors of Corfù. It stretches over an 84,000 square meter area between the Old Fortress and the historic center, making it the largest square in the Balkans and the seventh largest in the list of the world's largest squares. Its name derives from the Italian ‘spianare’ meaning ‘ atten’ and that was because it was created in the 16th-17th century when Venice demolished the buildings around the fortress to increase visibility and achieve a large shooting range for the defenders.