The Ottoman conquest of Preveza and its first castle

XVI. TÜRK TARİH KONGRESİ 20 - 24 EYLÜL 2010, ANKARA KONGREYE SUNULAN BİLDİRİLER 4. CİLT - 2. KISIM OSMANLI TARİHİ TÜRK TARİH KURUMU XVI. TÜRK TARİH KONGRESİ IV. CİLT II. KISIM OSMANLI TARİHİ ATATÜRK KÜLTÜR, DİL VE TARİH YÜKSEK KURUMU T Ü R K TA R İ H K U RU M U YAY I N L A R I VIII. Dizi − Sayı 13e XVI. TÜRK TARİH KONGRESİ Ankara: 20-24 Eylül 2010 KONGREYE SUNULAN BİLDİRİLER IV. CİLT II. KISIM ANKARA 2015 Türk Tarih Kongresi (16. : 2010 : Ankara) XVI. Türk tarih kongresi , 20-24 Eylül 2010, Ankara, kongreye sunulan bildiriler: Osmanlı tarihi. - Ankara : Türk Tarih Kurumu, 2015. 4. c. (xiii, 1662 s.: resim, tıpkı basım, harita, tablo; 24 cm. - (AKDTYK Türk Tarih Kurumu yayınları ; VIII. Dizi - Sayı 13d, 13e, 13f)) Bibliyografya vardır. ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2982 - 1 (tk.) ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2987 - 6 (4. c.) ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2988 - 3 (5. c.) ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2989 - 0 (6. c.) 1.Türkiye _ Tarih _ Kongreler. 2. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu_Tarih_Kongreler. I. E.a. II. E.a.: Osmanlı tarihi. III. Dizi. 956.1015 Atatürk, Kültür, Dil ve Tarih Yüksek Kurumu Yönetim Kurulu’nun 24/08/2011 tarih ve 643/20/19 sayılı ve 29/03/2012 tarih ve 656/4 sayılı kararları gereği 1500 adet basılmıştır. ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2982 - 1 (tk.) ISBN 978 - 975 - 16 - 2988 - 3 (5. c.) Baskı Hazırlık & Baskı İrtibat Ofisi: Büyük Sanayi 1. Cad. 95/11 • İskitler-Ankara Fabrika: Yenice Mah. Çubuk Yolu No:3 • Esenboğa-Ankara Tel: 0.312 342 22 08 • Fax: 0.312 341 14 27 www.korzabasim.com.tr SEKSİYON IV OSMANLI TARİHİ THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE NIKOS D. KARABELAS * Abstract in Turkish / Özet Osmanlı’nın Preveze Fethi ve İlk Kalesi Elde edilmiş bilimsel kayıtlara göre, Osmanlılar tarafından 1477-1478 yıllarında fethedilen Preveze, ilk kez 1486-1487 yıllarında tahkim edildi ve bu takviye çalışmaları 1495’te daha da geliştirildi. Ancak, gerek Venedik gerekse diğer arşivlerde yaptığımız araştırmaların sonucunda elde edilen verilere dayandırılarak, bu tarihlerin en azından bir on yıl öncesi düşünülerek yeniden incelenmesi gerekmektedir. Osmanlı’nın Preveze’yi sınırlarında barındıran Rinyasa bölgesini fethinin, II. Mehmet’in saltanat döneminde, 1463 yılına denk geldiği söylenebilir. Preveze yakınlarında bulunan Vati Koyu’ndaki savunma yapıları nerdeyse fetihten hemen sonra inşa edildi. Daha sonraları Buka Kalesi adıyla anılacak olan Arta Körfezi girişindeki kale, 1478’de yapıldı. Vati Koyu’nun hemen yanındaki Ortaçağ’dan kalan yerleşim yeri, yavaş yavaş Buka Kalesi çevresine taşındı ve en sonunda, mevcut ismi değişerek Preveze adını aldı. Kale, Osmanlı fetih dönemi boyunca (1463-1684) olduğu gibi, 1684 yılında Venedikliler tarafından fethedildikten sonra da bir çok kez güçlendirildi ve takviyeler yapıldı. 1701 yılında, bölgeyi Osmanlı’ya teslim etmeden önce kaleyi yıkmak zorunda kaldılar. According to what is scientifically held to date, Preveza was conquered by the Ottomans in 1477-1478, was fortified for the first time in 1486-1487, and its fortifications were improved in 1495.1 However, based on the data which were brought about following our research, these dates have to be revised for at least a decade earlier. The time of the construction of the first castle of Preveza, at the entrance of the Gulf of Arta, can now be precisely defined. * 1 President of Actia Nicopolis Foundation in Preveza, Greece See SchREINER 1975-1979, II, 528; SOuStAL & KODER 1981, 242; SAvvIDES 1993, 35-36; KOmIS 1999, 21. 968 NIKOS D. KARABELAS The aim of this paper is to present the data and the rationale with which the pieces of the ‘puzzle’ are put together and conclusions are drawn for the dates of Preveza’s conquest and fortification. A brief introduction to the geography of the region precedes our analysis in order to familiarize the reader with the once most occident part of the Ottoman Empire. Epirus is the northwestern part of the Greek peninsula and Jannina has been its capital for many centuries (Fig. 1). Epirus is a very mountainous area with little flat land spreading mostly towards the south, formed by depositions of two rivers: the Louros and the Arachthos. The Gulf of Arta is a large and closed gulf with only a small opening through which it channels into the Ionian Sea.2 At the mouth of the Gulf the strait is only 600 m. wide. The narrow strait was used for centuries as a passage from the coast of Epirus to the opposite coast of Acarnania. The word passage in the Albanian language is prevëzë or prevëza. This is what Preveza means, passage, and it is in that place where the town of Preveza stands today.3 In the same waters where Cleopatra of Egypt and Marc Antony lost their world to Octavian in the sea battle of Actium in September of 31 BC, Khayreddin Pasha Barbarossa defeated the allied Christian fleet of Andrea Doria in September 1538 in the renowned Prevëzë deniz savaşi, or sea battle of Preveza. Twenty-five kilometres north-northwest of Preveza lies the castle of Riniassa, which dates back to medieval times. Riniassa had been the administrative centre of the region until the mid 16th century, as Professor Melek Delilbaşi has suggested.4 Preveza started taking over Riniassa after the construction of the castle of Bouka, at the entrance of the Gulf of Arta. 1. The region of Preveza before the Ottoman Conquest Port de Saint Nicolas le Tort and Preveza It has repeatedly been written that the first reference to the name Preveza is made in The Chronicle of Morea.5 The anonymous author of this metrical narrative provides the information that towards the end of the summer or the beginning of 2 The Gulf of Arta is also known as the Gulf of Ambracia, or Ambracian Gulf, or Amurakikos Gulf. All the names have the same meaning, as the town of Arta is built on the site of ancient Amvrakikos. 3 The etymology of the name Preveza has been fully and exhaustedly analysed by many scholars and particularly by Peter Fourikis, who concluded that the name Preveza comes from the Albanian word prevëzë or prevëza, which means passage. See FOuRIKIS 1924, 283-293, where there is a rich bibliography. See also the same work for information concerning the first settlement in the area. Cf. SAvvIDES 1993, 28-29; KOmIS 1999, 19-20; KONStANtAKI 2010, 6-8. 4 5 See Delilbaşi 1991, 25 and 29; Delilbaşi 1993, 59 and 64. See for example FOuRIKIS 1929, 267-268; FOuRIKIS 1930, 221-223; SAvvIDES 1993, 29-30. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 969 the autumn of 1292, the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos decided to suppress the rebellious Despot of the Despotate (Principality) of Epirus, Nikephoros I Angelos Comnenos. Military operations were carried out in two fronts: by land, attacking the town of Jannina with hordes of army and cavalry, and by the sea, against the town of Arta. The fleet comprised of 40 or 60 Genoese warships which carried the Byzantine troops.6 They headed through Cephalonia to the Amvrakikos Gulf, disembarked at Preveza and looted the area before sailing to Salagora and attacking Arta.7 The imperial troops, however, finally failed to realise their goal. The army left Jannina and the fleet returned to Constantinople.8 Of the eight extant manuscripts of The Chronicle of Morea –five in Greek, one in French, one in Aragonese/Spanish, and one in Italian– the French is the only one that mentions Preveza as port of Saint Nicolas le Tort.9 The specific passage mentions that 60 galleys came to the Gulf of Arta and reached the port of Saint The manuscripts of The Chronicle of Morea written in French and Aragonese mention forty ships, while the Greek and Italian versions increase the number of the ships to sixty. See The Chronicle of Morea Fr., (codex of Brussels) § 607, p. 243 and § 636, p. 253; The Chronicle of Morea Arag., (codex of Madrid) § 456, p. 100; The Chronicle of Morea Gr., (codex of Copenhagen) lines 8786 and 9107; The Chronicle of Morea Ital., (codex of Venice) p. 468. 7 In the oldest of the ive extant manuscripts writen in the Greek language (codex of Copenhagen), which , up to now, dates back to the late 14th century, we read the following: Ἐκείνη γὰρ ἡ ὑποδρομή, τὸ κοῦρσο ποῦ σᾶς λέγω, | οὐδὲν ἐδιήρκησεν πολλά, ἄνευ κ’ ἡμέρες δύο, | ἐπεὶ μαντᾶτα ἠφέρασιν ἐτότε τοῦ Δεσπότου, | τὸ πῶς ἐκεταλάβασιν εἰς τὸν κορφὸν τῆς Ἄρτας, | κάτεργα ἑξῆντα ἤλθασιν κ’ εἶναι τῶν Γενουβίσων· | ἐπέζεψαν στὴν Πρέβεσαν, κουρσεύγουν τὰ χωρία, | ὡρμήσασιν νὰ ἔρχωνται ὁλόρθα εἰς τὴν Ἄρταν, which could be translated as: That atack, the raid I am talking about, | did not last long, two days at the most, | for news was brought to the Despot, | of how they conquered the gulf of Arta, | that sixty ships came belonging to the Genoese; | they disembarked at Prevessa, looted the area, | and dashed straight to Arta. See The Chronicle of Morea Gr. (codex of Copenhagen) lines 9103-9109. The corresponding text of the Greek version of Paris, dating back to the 16th century, reads as follows: Ἐκείνη ἡ ὑποδρομή, τὸ κοῦρσον ὅπου ἐγίνη, | οὐδὲν ἐπολυεπέρασεν μόνον καὶ δύο ἡμέρας· | εὐτὺς μαντᾶτα ἤφεραν ἐτότε τοῦ Δεσπότου, | τὸ πῶς ἐκεταλάβασιν εἰς τὸν κόρφον τῆς Ἄρτας, | κάτεργα ἑξῆντα ἤλθασιν, τὰ ἔνι τῶν Γενουβίσων· | στὴν Πρέβεζαν ἀπόζεψαν, κουρσεύουν τὰ χωρία, | καὶ ὥρμησαν καὶ ἔρχονταν ὁλόρθα εἰς τὴν Ἄρταν, which could be translated as: That attack, the raid that took place, | did not last longer than two days; | soon news was brought to the Despot, | that the gulf of Arta was conquered, | sixty ships came, belonging to the Genoese; | they disembarked at Preveza, looted the area, | and dashed straight to Arta. See The Chronicle of Morea Gr. (codex of Paris) lines 7760-7766 (numbering by Buchon). 6 For the narration of the events, see The Chronicle of Morea Gr., (codex of Copenhagen) lines 87829235; BOuchON 1825, 401-407; FOuRIKIS 1929, 267-268; 1930, 221-223; NIcOL 1984, 37-43. 8 9 The French version, which, up to now, dates back to the late 14th or the early 15th century, is thought to be an exact copy of a non-extant older manuscript of The Chronicle of Morea, see ShAwcROSS 2009, 3738. We think that le Tort (= offence, the unfair) must have wrongly been copied from le Fort (= the great, the powerful, the strong, the thick), as in French manuscript tradition f is very often transcribed wrongly into t. We, thus, keep the word in its initial French form. Probably, le Fort is one of the names given to St. Nicholas (St. Nicholas the powerful, the great, the strong, in the thicket), a common practice in those days for churches built near to the harbour. NIKOS D. KARABELAS 970 Nicolas le Tort, at the old town of Preveza.10 The Aragonese/Spanish version does not refer to Preveza, but to the Gulf of Arta in general. The name given in the Italian manuscript is Prevetsa. From a recent study on The Chronicle of Morea by Teresa Shawcross, it is concluded that the extant manuscripts of the chronicle have a common ancestor. The core of the ancestor prototype seems to have been compiled in the mid 1320s and had been, most probably, completed by the mid 1340s.11 Since the reference to the name Preveza is made in the last lines of The Chronicle of Morea, we can undoubtedly claim that the name was known at least in the 1340s. Although Peter Fourikis pointed out, as early as 1924, that «taking into consideration the time, which is needed for a settlement to gradually develop into a considerable city or even a town, as we imagine Preveza to have been when the attack against it took place, we should accept that the year of the establishment of the settlement bearing this name must have been about a century before the first reference; consequently, we can certainly ascertain that the year of the formation of the settlement, in the area now occupied by Preveza, must have been around 1200»,12 we think that the name Preveza mentioned in The Chronicle of Morea refers to an existing toponym (Preveza=Passage) and not to an earlier settlement with the same name. The settlement which most probably existed in the region of the Vathy cove,13 two kilometres north of the centre of modern Preveza, must have borne a different name. The use of the phrase «port de Saint Nicolas le Tort, a la vieille cité de la Prevasse» in the French text informs us that the port at the Passage was called Saint Nicolas le Tort and that, even in those times, the ruins of Nicopolis were considered –wrongly, of course– to be the old town of Preveza. The said port is, in our opinion, the agelong –and until the construction of the first manmade quay– natural harbour of Preveza; namely, the closed sea basin situated to the east of the town of Preveza, from the building of the old Ottoman Residency and southwards.14 It is this port that cartographers and travellers referred to as Harbour of Preveza until the late 19th century, when they arrived in the town with ships, which anchored at the roadstead, 10 The French text reads as follows: .lx. gallies estoient venues au goulfe de l’Arte, et estoient arrivées au port de Saint Nicolas le Tort, a la vieille cité de la Prevasse. See The Chronicle of Morea Fr., (codex of Brussels) § 636, p. 253. We point out that the ruins of ancient Nicopolis were then considered, wrongly, as the old town of Preveza. 11 See ShAwcROSS 2009, 32-34 and 260. 12 For the Greek text, see FOuRIKIS 1924, 283. Cf. KONStANtAKI 2010, 7-8. At the site, according to Professor James Wiseman, there are remains of a medieval settlement, see wISEmAN 2001, 56-58. See also JINg & RApp 2003, 176-177. 13 14 We cannot accept the view of Professor Spyros Assonitis, who identifies the port de Saint Nicolas le Tort with the Cove of Demata, on the western Acarnanian coast, see ASSONItIS 2005, 49, footnote 60. Such an acceptance fails to interpret the continuation of the narration of The Chronicle, according to which the port is located at the vieille cité de la Prevasse. In any case, the weaknesses of this observation are pointed out by the initial contender of this view, Spyridon Vlantis, see vLANtIS 1902, 21-22. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 971 and passengers were brought ashore with smaller vessels (Fig. 2).15 The deep and safe from all the winds cove of Vathy (=Deep) –which from at least the beginning of the 16th century until today has been known with this name and is situated about two kilometres north of the centre of Preveza– must have also been used for safe anchorage, as it was for centuries the main and largest of the three ports of ancient Nicopolis.16 We deem that the name with which the port is mentioned in the French version of The Chronicle of Morea is linked with the church of St. Nikolaos in Preveza, called St. Nikolaos the Old. This church, according to Peter Fourikis, was Byzantine,17 and we believe that it was built on the same site as the modern church, south - southwest of the old town, near and to the northwest of the castle of Bouka (Fig. 2).18 The church was in ruins in 1685, when the area was delineated by the Venetian engineer Giovanni Leonardo Mauro, whose drawing was reproduced by Vincenzo Coronelli in his engraving entitled Fortezza della Prevesa.19 It is worthy of note that the name Preveza does not appear again in historical or other sources until the middle of the 16thth century,20 when its fortification is mentioned in the Short Chronicles.21 This reinforces our opinion that until the middle of the second half of the 15th century –namely, until the construction of the castle of Bouka at the south-eastern tip of the peninsula of Preveza, at the entrance (bocca in Italian) of the Amvrakikos Gulf–22 there was no settlement called Preveza, and that this name was used exclusively to denote the geographical position of the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf and the passage from the Epirotan to the 15 This is also illustrated in a map of Preveza included in The naval wars of Turks by Ferzi, see tOLEDO mANSILLA 2010, 162, Fig. 12. 16 wISEmAN 2001, 49; ZAchOS 2007, 274; ZAchOS et al. 2008, 20; KONStANtAKI 2010, 7-8. In all probability one that was built before the first settlement of the area of Preveza, see FOuRIKIS 1930, 217-218 and 224-225; KONStANtAKI 2010, 8. The small-scale excavation of 1987 in the interior of the church confirmed the existence of at least three construction phases, in which ancient construction material was used, as well as evidence of destruction from fire, see chALKIA 1987. 17 18 See KARABELAS 2010, 397. The location of the church is noted on the drawing and the engraving as: Ressiduo della Chiesa di San Nicolo. For the origin of the sketch, see KARABELAS 2010, 397, footnote 14; for the engraving, see IAN 0036; KARABELAS & mAmALOuKOS 1994, No 2; KARABELAS 2006, No 8; NAvARI 2010, 170 and 177, Fig. 5. 19 20 Maritime archives of the early 15th century from the Republic of Ragusa, the modern Dubrovnik in Croatia, make reference to the port of St. Nicolas in entries of July 1418 concerning the loading of salt from Lefkas, St. Nicolas and Kopraina. See KreKić 1961, 268-269, no. 644 (5 July 1418) and 648 (21 July 1418); NIcOL 1984, 228-229. We have to point out that the St. Nicolas mentioned in the two documents could be the cove on the Acarnanian coast, between Lefkas and Preveza, also known as cove of Demata, as it is quite near the salt lakes of Lefkas. Regarding the toponym Demata see ΚARABELAS 2009, 208-209. 21 See SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 412-422; I, 526-548; I, 551-552; II, 528. In fact, at the entrance of the Gulf of Preveza, a small bay before the entrance to the Amvrakikos Gulf. The Amvrakikos Gulf starts a bit to the east of Preveza, at the strait created by the Epirotan cape of Laskara and the Acarnanian cape Kefali Panagias. See Map 2. 22 972 NIKOS D. KARABELAS Acarnanian coast (Fig. 2). As shown by the Ottoman censuses, from which we learn that the castle of Riniassa was the administrative centre of the region until the second half of the 16th century,23 a possible earlier settlement in the area of Vathy must have remained small and of no particular significance. We believe that after the construction of the first castle of Preveza, at the entrance (bocca) of the gulf, this settlement was transferred and developed to the north of and adjacent to the newly-erected castle. Cyriacus of Ancona, an Italian traveller to the region, does not mention Preveza or any other settlement by its name, although he visited the ruins of Nicopolis at least twice and went hunting with the governor of Lefkas, Jacobo Ruphus, in the woods of Actium and the peninsula of Preveza in the early September 1436.24 The cartography of the time does not contribute in any way to the solution of our problem as most extant manuscript maps are merely copies of Ptolemaic ones, in which towns are recorded by their ancient names. Thus, in the maps of Greece, even until 1580, there are no references to the name Preveza, but to the once prosperous Nicopolis.25 We have traced an interesting exception, however. On a hand-drawn map of about 1485, Henricus Martellus in addition to the usual Ptolemaic names includes newer names of places, taken from nautical maps and travellers of the time.26 Amongst these, he notes the name S. Nicola on the southernmost tip of the peninsula of Epirus, near the site where Preveza stands today, as well as a fortress which is shown under the name S. Nicola (Fig. 3). With this reference, Martellus confirms both the existence of a fortress at the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf prior to circa 1485 as well as the use of the name St. Nicolas which is recorded, as port de Saint Nicolas le Tort, in the French version of The Chronicle of Morea. The castle of Riniassa and Preveza Twenty five (25) kilometres north-northwest of modern Preveza, on top of a very steep but small hill not more than 100 metres high, stands the castle of Riniassa (Ρηνιάσσα, in modern Greek). The castle is situated only 500 metres east 23 See Delilbaşi 1993, 59. See ZIEBARth 1926, 114-115; BODNAR 1960, 42, who dates this particular event in 1448; NIcOL 1984, 206. The antiquity aficionado Cyriacus de Pizzicolli from Ancona usually ignores the modern names of the towns and uses their ancient ones; see FOuRIKIS 1929, 271-273. 24 For example, the codex of the Ptolemaic maps of the early 14th century of the monastery of Vatopedi in Athos, see KADAS 1996, 583-585, and the Ptolemaic maps of the Samourka collection, see tOLIAS 2008, 34-38, 60-65, 74. The first known map that mentions the castle of Preveza is a manuscript by Pirî Reis, see supra footnote no. 62. 25 26 Pages 68v and 69r of the manuscript isolario (book of islands) by Martellus, entitled Insularium Illustratum, which is kept in the Condé Museum in Chantilly, France, with entry number Ms. 483. See tOLIAS 2002, 32-33 and 48-49. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 973 of the deep, sandy coast of the Ionian Sea and almost half way between Preveza and Parga (Fig. 1). Riniassa seems to have been the only stronghold between Parga and Lefkas during at least the 14th and most of the 15th century. The castle of Riniassa is, most probably, identified with the castle of Despot Thomas, or Thomokastron, in which the young Nikephoros II of Epirus was residing in 1338/9.27 For most of the second half of the 14th century the castle of Riniassa seems to have belonged to the Albanian rulers of south Epirus.28 This is reconfirmed by a reference made in the travelling journal of the pilgrim Nicola de Martoni, in April 1395.29 In 1401, Carlo I Tocco bought the castle of Riniassa from a prince named Pikernaios and almost immediately installed two Albanian captains in it; the brothers Mouriki and Ioannis Boua. In 1403, Carlo I Tocco lost the castle to Mouriki Spata of Arta.30 Around 1413, but not later than 1415, Carlo Marchesano, half-brother of Muriki Spata,31 married Carlo I Tocco’s illegitimate daughter and made over the castle of Riniassa to his father-in-law. Carlo I Tocco was delighted to accept the offer, even though the people of Riniassa at first refused to submit for fear of Albanian reprisals. The administration of the castle was probably entrusted to Carlo’s brother, Leonardo II, and after Leonardo’s death, in 1418/19, to his son Carlo II, who had married Mouriki Spata’s daughter and were both (Carlo II and his wife) installed in Riniassa by Carlo I Tocco.32 The region of Riniassa and the castle itself were not included in the areas of Epirus that had been conquered by the Ottomans up to 1432, as it was not included in the defter, or cadastral survey, of the newly-established Arvanid Sanjak. In 1436, Riniassa had been granted by 27 Joannes VI Cantacuzenus, Historiae, vol. 1, 509, 511, 525-526, Cf. SOuStAL & KODER 1981, 250. Most probably the Losha and Spata families, which, from c. 1359-1374 and c. 1374-1399 respectively, ruled Arta and Rogoi. See ASONItIS 2005, 127-149 passim. 28 29 According to the journal of the Italian notary Nicola de Martoni from Carinola, the castle of Riniassa, Arevessa in his writing, had been for three days the shelter of his misfortune, while returning from his pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land. On 15 April 1395, he notes that their boat was buffeted by the waves and was thrown broken on a shore two miles from the castle of Riniassa, which belonged to the Despot of Arta. Men from the castle went and pulled the boat dry. The master of the castle, who was a Neapolitan, sent his servants with a horse for them. They arrived at the castle with fear, because there were Albanians, but, there, they were given shelter at a hut, which was used as a barn, where they stayed for three days. On Monday 18 April 1395, the boat been repaired, they left the castle of Riniassa at dusk and went to its port, called Porto Fanari, which was subject to the dominion of the Venetians. See pIccIRILLO 2003, 162-163 and 183, footnote 245, where he misinterprets Arevessa as Preveza. Cf. SOuStAL & KODER 1981, 250-251. 30 See Cronaca vv. 833-834, 1040-1041, 1100-1108; SouStal & Koder 1981, 250; Nicol 1984, 172; aSoNitiS 2005, 155-158. The relevant text of the Tocco Chronicle mentions: Τὸ κάστρον δὲ καὶ ἀγόρασεν, τὸ λέγουσιν Ρινιάσα, | ἀπὸ ἄρχοντα ἕναν εὐγενῆ, ὄνομα Ἰπικέρνην, which could be translated as: The castle that Tocco bought, was named Riniassa, and was bought from a nobleman, named Ipikernis. Muriki Spata was the Lord of Arta from 1399 until his death, in 1414. He was half-brother to Carlo Marchesano from the same mother, Eirene, but different fathers. See NIcOL 1984, 255. 31 32 See Cronaca vv. 2020-2026, 2431-2502, 2606-2608; NIcOL 1984, 181-182 and 184; ASONItIS 2009, 608. NIKOS D. KARABELAS 974 Carlo II Tocco to his nephew Torno, illegitimate son of Carlo I Tocco.33 The shortlived conquest of Riniassa in 1452 by Hatzibey, a general of the conqueror-sultan, still has to be verified, but seems likely to have occurred as the castle is mentioned to have been ‘recaptured’ by the Ottomans (de Turcarum manibus recuperando) not later than the end of July 1463.34 From a decision of the Venetian Senate, taken on 21st August 1463 and notified to the bailiff and captain (baiulus et capitaneus) of Corfu (Fig. 4), we are informed that before the end of July 1463, Riniassa belonged to the dominion of Rolando de Tocco, another illegitimate son of Carlo I Tocco (de domino Rolando de Tocho, olim domino Renesse).35 We, thus, suggest that 29th July 1463 –date on which the administration of Corfu appeals to the Senate of Venice and mentions, amongst other, that Rolando de Tocco is no longer Lord of Riniassa– constitutes a terminus ante quem for the Ottoman conquest of the castle of Riniassa and the area it dominated. Ottoman tax censuses of the late 15th century suggest that the area of Preveza belonged to the district, nahiye/vilayet, of Riniassa. Ottoman records for the collection of the kharaj for the year 894 Anno Higirae (A.D. 1488-1489) disclose that there were 1,229 households in the area of Riniassa and the taxes which were collected amounted to 39,595 akcha.36 Population figures of the 16th century attest that the nahiye of Riniassa numbered 1611 households and 355 unmarried men in 1564. Fifteen years later, in 1579, these figures had increased to 1807 and 860 respectively.37 2. Mehmed II Conquers the Area of Preveza before July 1463 The Ottoman domination had already been established in the region of Epirus since the time of Mourad II. On 9th October 1430, Sinan Pasha conquered the town of Jannina. Lefkas had already been pillaged in May 1430. On 29th March 1449, Arta was annexed to the Ottoman Empire.38 Exactly seven years after 33 See NIcOL 1984, 204. The conquest of 1452 was suggested by ARAvANtINOS 1856-1857, Ι, 171; ΙΙ, 190-191, without any bibliographical reference. The word recuperando was used by the editor of the Acta Albaniae Veneta, J. Valentini, see AAV vol. XXV, p.168, No. 7428, 29 July 1463. 34 ASV, Senato Secreti XXI, f. 179r. We transcribe the relevant Latin text: Die dicto 1463 | Baiulo et Capitaneo ac .. consiliarijs corphoy | Ex litteris uestris diei xxviiij Julij nuper decursi: inter alia intelleximus quantum scribitis de domino Rolando de tocho | olim domino Renesse: et respondentes dicimus quod concorrentes [sic] in opinione vobiscum: circa quantum scripsistis nobis | in ista materia: est nostre intentionis et volumus: Quod pro consueta prudentia et diligentia uestra detis operam per | illos bonos et conuenientes modos: qui vobis videbunt[ur] habendi predictum locum Renesse: ac etiam de alijs locis turcorum | ad marinas: contra quos: ut iam ante Intellexistis: bellum nuper statuimus. See Fig. 4; Cf. NIcOL 1984, 184-185, specifically footnote 16, where the name is also referred to as Orlando; ASSONItIS 2005, 208. Thanks are owed to Dr. Christina Papakosta for her assistance in interpreting Italian and Latin texts of Venetian documents. 35 36 See BARKAN 1964, 97; KOmIS 1999, 24, footnote 30. 37 See Delilbaşi 2009, 301, 317. See NIcOL 1984, 203-209; Delilbaşi 1993, 57-58; KOKOLAKIS 2003, 117; ASSONItIS 2005, 190, 197; Delilbaşi 2009, 299-300. 38 THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 975 Constantinople fell into the hands of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, Mystras was conquered on 29th May 1460. By 1463, the whole peninsula of the Morea had fallen prey to the Sultan. Just after the conquest of Mystras, probably in the same year, in 1460, the Ottomans became lords of Angelokastro and Varnakas in Acarnania (Fig. 1). From the possessions of the counts of Tocco in the mainland, only Vonitsa, Dragamesto and Riniassa remained in their dominance.39 Not for very long, though. As mentioned above, Riniassa belonged to the dominion of Rolando de Tocco before the summer of 1463. We have also pointed out that the Ottomans had become lords of the castle of Riniassa, Renesse in the Latin text, prior to the end of July 1463, and just before Venice declared war against the Sultan.40 Furthermore, according to the Ottoman tax censuses of the late 15th century, the area of Preveza belonged to the nahiye (district) of Riniassa.41 Nearly a century later, according to a study carried out by Prof. Melek Delilbaşi, based on extant Ottoman tax records of the area for the years 1564 and 1579, Preveza was recorded as a dependency of the nahiye of Riniassa and had been granted as a fief (timar) to the guardians of the castle of the town (mardan-i kala-i Preveze).42 We are of the opinion that by conquering the castle of Riniassa before the end of July 1463, the Ottomans became lords of the area annexed to the castle and consequently of the settlement which existed at that time on the peninsula of Preveza. As already mentioned above, we believe that this settlement was not yet called Preveza. In 1479, the Ottomans conquered the last dominions of Leonardo III Tocco, marking the end of the Tocco family rule. With the straits of Amvrakikos Gulf already fortified by the Ottomans –as we shall see below– the fleet of Gedik Ahmed Pasha of Avlona entered the gulf and conquered first Vonitsa, then Lefkas on 17th August, Cephalonia on 26th August, and finally Zante on 8th September 1479.43 3. The First Fortifications of Preveza in 1465 and 1478 Aspiring to conquer Italy and Rome, Mehmed II the Conqueror realised that before proceeding with his plans, he should first fortify the western coast of the Greek peninsula as well as conquer the Ionian Islands.44 Consequently, the erection 39 See NIcOL 1984, 211; ASSONItIS 2005, 198, 200, 205. See Acta Albaniae Veneta, vol. XXV, p. 168, Νο. 7428, 29 July 1463; pp. 184-185. See also ASV, Senato Secreti XXI, f. 179r, 21 August 1463. Cf. ASSONItIS 2005, 208; ASSONItIS 2009, 232-233. On 28th July 1463, Venice declared war against the Sultan, which ended with the signing of a peace treaty on 25th January 1479, see NIcOL 1984, 212; ASSONItIS 2005, 208 and 212; wRIght & mAcKAy 2007, 261-268; ASSONItIS 2009, 237. 40 41 See KOmIS 1999, 24, footnote 30. 42 See Delilbaşi 1991, 25 and 29; Delilbaşi 1993, 59 and 64. 43 See NIcOL 1984, 212-213; ASSONItIS 2005, 213. 44 Cf. NIcOL 1984, 212; ASSONItIS 2009, 232-233. 976 NIKOS D. KARABELAS of a castle in the strategic location at the entrance of Amvrakikos Gulf had, in our view, a dual significance. Firstly, the Sultan wanted to use the area as a base and a launch pad for the conquest of the Ionian Islands and for further attacks against Italy and other western nations, and, secondly, to make Amvrakikos Gulf the safe haven of the Ottoman fleet during the course of his military operations, a fact that has been confirmed during the operations of Khayreddin Barbarossa in 1538. After the conquest of the area by Mehmed II, the safe harbour at the cove of Vathy and the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf were most likely fortified. The historical research carried out until today maintains that Preveza was conquered by the Ottomans in 1477-78 and was fortified for the first time in 148687. Improvements to its fortifications were carried out in 1495.45 The source for these claims has been the three extant Short Chronicles which refer to the fortification (κτίσις in Greek) of Preveza. More specifically, the Short Chronicle 71.2.7 records the year 6986 Since Creation (A.D. 1477-1478) as the time of the fortification of Preveza.46 In two other Short Chronicles, 70.3.39 and 58.1.23.T, the year 6995 Since Creation (A.D. 1486-1487) is given as the time of the fortification of Preveza,47 while a different version of the latter manuscript, namely 58.1.23.P, records the Christian date 1495.48 In his comprehensive study, Peter Schreiner considers the year 6986 given in the Short Chronicle 71.2.7 (1477-1478) to be vague and goes a step further to correct it, with some reservations, to 6995 (1486-1487).49 During the first international symposium for the history of Preveza, in 1989, Prof. Alexis Savvides pointed out the reservations of Schreiner regarding this matter and proposed that the date 1477-1478 of the Short Chronicle 71.2.7 should remain, however, not as the time of the fortification of Preveza but as an approximate time of the conquest of Preveza. Furthermore, he maintained that the other two dates were respectively the dates of the original fortification of the town and of the improvements made to the fortifications later on.50 45 See SchREINER 1975-1979, II, 528; SOuStAL & KODER 1981, 242; SAvvIDES 1993, 33-36; KOmIS 1999, 21. The text of the Short Chronicle 71.2.7 reads, in translation, as follows: [the Turk] built Preveza in the year ˏςϡ π ς΄[6986], see Schreiner 1975-1979, I, 552. In these Chronicles, the word built (ἔκτισεν in Greek) has mostly the meaning of fortified. 46 47 The text of the Short Chronicle 70.3.39 reads, in translation, as follows: Preveza was built during the reign of this sultan [Bayazid], ˏςϡ ϟ ε΄ [6995], see SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 548. The text of the Short Chronicle 58.1.23, codex Τ, reads, in translation, as follows: Preveza was built in the year ˏςϡ ϟ ε΄ [6995], since Adam, see SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 422. 48 The text of the Short Chronicle 58.1.23, codex P, reads, in translation, as follows: Preveza was built by the Turks in the year ˏα υ ϟ ε΄ since Christ, namely 1495, see SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 422. Schreiner mentions that the date A.D. 1495 was probably recorded wrongly, due to the miscalculation of the year 6995 by the writer of the Short Chronicle, thus supporting the view that 1486-1487 was the year of the foundation of Preveza, see SchREINER 1975-1979, II, 528. Savvides maintains that we should accept 1495 as the year of the second fortification of Preveza, see SAvvIDES 1993, 35. 49 See SchREINER 1975-1979, II, 528. 50 See SAvvIDES 1993, 35-36. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 977 Two manuscript documents of the time, which are kept in the State Archives of Venice, include the information that in the spring of 1465 the Ottomans had constructed lime kilns (calchariis in Latin) in the Amvrakikos Gulf and were making the necessary preparations to erect two castellorum (a type of towers) at the entrance of the gulf. We are also given the information that in the first months of 1478 they were building a castle at the entrance (faucibus in Latin) of the gulf. In the first of these documents (Figs. 5a, 5b, 5c), dated 6th May 1465, the Extraordinary Provveditore of the Peloponnese Jacobo Barbadico was ordered by the Doge of Venice Cristoforo Moro to collect information, aided by the bailiff and captain (baiulus et capitaneus) of Corfu Hieronymo de Molino, and to submit his report, as soon as possible, to the Venetian administration concerning the lime kilns (de calchariis), which had been constructed by the Turks at the Gulf of Arta, as well as about the two castellos (duorum castellorum), which, according to rumours, were being built by the Turks at the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf. Barbadico was also ordered to discuss the issue in detail with the Venetian admiral in the region so that all the necessary provisions would be made for the honour and safety of the Venetians. The Signory of the Serene Republic appeared to be particularly concerned about the construction of these fortifications. For this reason, at the end of the document they added an instruction pointing out that the Provveditore should attend to the matter himself. He was ordered to go with the trireme of the duke and knight Vitalis Lando to the gulf of Arta and after a thorough on-spot examination of the situation, he should, without any delay, submit a report to the Senate regarding the particular matter. They instructed the Provveditore to look particularly for any castles that were being constructed for the purpose of attacking and sinking warships or any other vessels.51 In all likelihood, the two castellos are the ones depicted 73 years later on the northern coast of the Cove Vathy of Preveza in a topographic sketch (Fig. 6), which was included in a report (avviso), compiled by Francesco Genesio in Corfu on 22nd September 1538.52 51 ASV, Senato Secreti XXII, ff. 84r-85v. We transcribe the relevant Latin text: [1465.] Die VI Maij. | Commissio ser Jacobi Barbadico proficiscentis | Provisoris in Peloponnesum. | Nos Christophorus Maurus Dei gratia Dux Venetiarum etc. ……… Et quando Corphoi eris, tibi mandamus ut esse debeas cum illo Regimine nostro ac viro nobile Hieronymo de Molino, | si ibi erit, ab eisque cures omnem particularem minutamque informationem sumere de calcharijs que in sinu | Arte á turcis constructe esse dicuntur. Et si ad fabricationem illorum duorum castellorum, que in faucibus | sinus ipsius fama est, eos construere velle: separant. Et quicquid ea in re senseris nostro dominio particularem | noticiam quamprimum tuis literis dabis, superque ea re cum capitaneo nostro generale maris conferes, eique cuncta | que in ipsa materia habemus, declarabis, ut eas provisiones facere possit, que ei necessarie videbuntur, | pro honore, et securitate status nostri. ……… Vult suprascripto mandato hec verba addi quod ultra informationem corphoi sumendam, Idem provisor cum presenti | trireme Landa ad Locum sinus Arte se conferat, omniaque oculata fide diligenter intelligat, | Cui si pro clariore informatione in terram descendendum videretur, id suo relinquatur arbi | trio, ubi quam minus temporis poterit consumat, sed omni inde celeritate discedat, per quam viam corphoi | nostro dominio per literas particularem informationem det, preterea, se diligenter informet, et | videat, si volentibus turcis fabricare in faucibus sinus ipsius, castella per submersionem na | vium, aut aliorum navigiorum, aut aliquo alio modo posset obviari. See Figs. 5a, 5b, 5c. The text was published for the first time by Sathas, see SAthAS 1880, 252-256, document 172. Cf. ASSONItIS 2005, 210. See gENESIO 1538. I am especially thankful to Mr. Jim S. Curlin for locating this short, useful and rare document in the National Library of France. 52 978 NIKOS D. KARABELAS The second document is a letter by Leonardo III Tocco addressed to Filippo Foscari, a member of a powerful Venetian family, written in Lefkas on 31st March 1478. From this letter, we learn that the Turks were building a castle at the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf and that Leonardo was sending his relative Bogordo di Tocco as his envoy to Venice in order to meet Filippo Foscari, and ask for his help in order to prompt the intervention of the Serene Republic of Venice and to inform the Signory of the dangers that loomed from the construction of the particular castle as well as of the progress of the works carried out at it.53 We are of the opinion that the castello ala bucca delo gulfo54 mentioned in this letter is the big castle of Bouka, built at the south-eastern tip of Preveza’s peninsula, and depicted for the first time in 1521 on Pirî Reis’ manuscript map of the area (Fig. 7) and on many other engravings later on.55 Consequently, we should, in our view, reconsider the dates 1486-1487 and 1495 which have been suggested to date as the years of the first and second fortification of Preveza, respectively.56 We should establish the year 1465 –two years after the Ottoman conquest of the area– as the year of the first fortification by the Turks of the cove Vathy and the settlement which most probably existed in the area, with the construction of two castellos (duorum castellorum). The date 6986 Since Creation (A.D. 1477-1478), which is given in the Short Chronicle 71.2.7 as the year when the Turk built Preveza –that is, fortified the area with the erection of the castle of Bouka– should, also, be considered correct, as it agrees absolutely with the date 1478, which is mentioned in Leonardo III Tocco’s letter to Filippo Foscari. Furthermore, the conclusions drawn by Professor Alexis Savvides, based on his readings of the Short Chronicle 71.2.7, by which he disagrees with Schreiner and suggests that the conquest of Preveza by the Ottomans took place in 1477-1478,57 should, in our opinion, be reviewed because, as we explained above, the conquest of the area has to be dated at least before 29th July 1463, this date being a terminus ante quem. See mALtEZOu 1983, 10, 22-23, 27; ASSONItIS 2005, 212, footnote 152. The document was published by Prof. Chryssa Maltezou, who reads with caution the name of Tocco as Bongordo, see mALtEZOu 1983, 10 and 23. Prof. Spyros Assonitis also reads Bongordo either by oversight or based on the article by Prof. Maltezou. From the study, however, of the manuscript we can clearly see that the name is Bogordo di Toccho, see ASV, Scuola di Santa Maria del Rosario, b. 29, Processo X, f. 25r8-9, 31 March 1478. 53 54 See ASV, Scuola di Santa Maria del Rosario, b. 29, Processo X, f. 25r5, 31 March 1478. 55 For such depictions see NAvARI 2010, 175-185; KARABELAS 2010, 424-431. 56 See SchREINER 1975-1979, II, 528; SOuStAL & KODER 1981, 242; SAvvIDES 1993, 35-36; KOmIS 1999, 21. 57 See SAvvIDES 1993, 35. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 979 4. Preveza and the Castle of Bouka Built in 1478 –as we herewith have supported– the castle of Bouka is the first major fortification of the southernmost edge of Epiros, in the mouth of Amvrakikos Gulf, opposite the Acarnanian coast, and almost facing the cape of Actium (Fig. 2). The castle was built in the area called passage, prevëza in Albanian, where the distance from the opposite coast is very short and just over 600 metres. After the castle had been built, the settlement which most probably existed near the port of Vathy was eventually relocated near and to the north of the new castle, thus forming the core of a new village which would be known as Preveza. The castle was presumably strengthened by the Ottomans in 1486-87, as well as in 1495 in order to ward off the imminent danger from the West, due to the conquering plans of the French king Charles VIII, which, however, were finally deserted.58 In summer 1500, twenty-eight ships from Preveza reinforced the fleet of Bayazid II, which was sailing by Cape Doukato of Lefkas on its way to attack Methoni.59 Early in September 1500, the Venetian admiral Pesaro tried to capture the castle of Bouka. Although he was not successful, he did, however, plunder the area.60 According to geographer Meletios, the Ottomans repaired the castle once again in 1530.61 The first reference of the name Preveza on a map was made in the manuscript isolario of Santa Maura and Preveza, which was compiled in 1521 by the Ottoman maritime cartographer Pirî Reis and is included in his Book of Navigation, the famous Kitâb-ı Bahriye. In our paper, we present the map which is included in one of the 42 extant copies of his books, which is kept in Topkapi in Istanbul (Fig. 7).62 In his description of the area, Pirî Reis briefly mentions the castle, which had been standing at the entrance of the Amvrakikos Gulf for 43 years. He informs us that the castle (Preveze kalesi) was built by the sea at the straits of the gulf of Arta, overlooking east.63 Describing the natural harbour at the cove of Vathy of Preveza, Pirî Reis mentions that about two miles north of the castle, there is a harbour 58 See FOuRIKIS 1929, 274; SAvvIDES 1993, 35. Cf. the relevant text of the Short Chronicle 58.1.23, codex P, in SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 422. 59 Cf. the relevant text of the Short Chronicle which, in translation, reads as follows: and out went the armada and went to the Cape of Duke and there joined the ships of Preventza, armena twenty-eight…, see SchREINER 1975-1979, I, 295 and II, 536. See also FOuRIKIS 1929, 274-275; SAvvIDES 1993, 33-34. 60 See FOuRIKIS 1929, 275; SAvvIDES 1993, 33-34 and 36-37; vELENIS 1991, 11-12. 61 See SAvvIDES 1993, 37. Manuscript Νο. 642 of the Topkapi Museum, see ARI 2002. For the dating of the manuscript, see introductory note by R. Mirzaoğlu; regarding Preveza see 257-259. 62 63 For the relevant text relating to the area, which accompanies the map, with an English translation, see ARI 2002, 258. Cf. tOLEDO mANSILLA 2010, 140-141. Thanks are owed to Professor Dr. Ilber Ortayli, director of the Topkapi Museum, for the translation of the old Ottoman text of this map. 980 NIKOS D. KARABELAS called Bati-na, which is a round/circular port, completely surrounded by a forest, an ideal paradise.64 After the invention of printing the depictions of the castle of Bouka became more common. The renowned sea battle of Preveza was the cause of the first two detailed printed maps of the region. In 1538, Francesco Genesio, and a couple of years later Antonio Salamanca, depicted the castle of Bouka in a similar way to what it really looked like (Fig. 8). Many printed maps of the Gulf of Arta, or Golfo della Prevesa, were created on the occasion of the 1571 sea battle of Lepanto, after which Preveza and Amvrakikos Gulf offered shelter to the defeated Ottoman fleet.65 Diego Galán from Consuegra was the first traveller to mention Preveza (Previsa in the Spanish text) and its harbour in his diary of the last years of the 16th century.66 Even though the 1605 assault on the castle by the knights of St. Stephen lasted for a few hours and resulted to a very short occupation of Preveza by their forces, it was the cause of the first detailed plan of the castle of Bouka, drawn by the head of this expedition vice-admiral Iacopo Inghirami (Fig. 9), and two large spectacular artworks in Tuscany that provide us with a three dimensional perspective of the castle: the first, by Jacopo Ligozzi, on the ceiling of the church of St. Stephen in Pisa and the second, by Bernardino Poccetti, on a wall of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. A very detailed plan of the castle of Bouka and the small town of Preveza was delineated, in April 1685, by the Venetian engineer Giovanni Leonardo Mauro (Fig. 10), after the conquest of Preveza by the forces of Francesco Morosini in September 1684 and the improvements that they effected to its fortifications.67 5. Conclusions Based on the data we processed, we are now confident that the area of Preveza was conquered by the Ottomans in 1463. They proceeded immediately to its fortification, in 1465, as indicated by the construction of two castellos in the area of Vathy. The castle of Bouka, the first big castle of Preveza, was built by the 64 The largest of the three ports of ancient Nicopolis was in this cove; see wISEmAN 2001, 49; ZAchOS 2007, 274; KONStANtAKI 2010, 5-6. In the area there was a forest of large oak trees which were felled in the 18th century. However, a few of these trees can still be seen in the area of Ayioi Apostoloi, at the eastern tip of the Skafidaki peninsula of Preveza, which were saved because they belonged to the property of the monastery of St. Apostles. 65 For these two prints see KARABELAS 2006, v & NO. 1; KARABELAS 2010, 403-404, 425. The Spaniard captive reached Preveza’s harbour on his way to Istanbul, see gALáN 1913, 50-52. He visited Preveza again in May 1598, see gALáN 1913, 225-226. 66 67 For a detailed description of the plans by Iacopo Inghirami and Giovanni Leonardo Mauro see KARABELAS 2010, 406-407, 409-411, 414-415, 417-418, where a full transcription and comparison of their legends can be found. THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 981 Ottomans in 1478. During the following two centuries, period of the first Ottoman occupation, the castle was strengthened and reinforced several times. Considerable improvements and new fortification works were effected by the Venetians shortly after they conquered the castle in September 1684, as can be derived through the comparative study of detailed plans in the archives of Venice (Fig. 11).68 The castle was demolished by the Venetians in 1701, before surrendering the area to the Ottomans, in accordance to the provisions of the Treaty of Karlowitz and other bilateral agreements.69 As the castle does not exist anymore and very little remains are traceable on the site it once stood, it is difficult to locate it. We have placed the castle within the context of the present topography and demonstrate it by superimposing its plan onto a modern satellite image of the area (Fig. 12).70 68 We have reproduced a plan of the castle, after its improvements of 1684-1685, based on the manuscript plan by Giovanni Leonardo Mauro. See also KARABELAS 2010, 429. For a full transcription of the legend in Mauro’s manuscript, see KARABELAS 2010, 417-418. 69 See ABOu-EL-hAJ 1967, 509-510; ABOu-EL-hAJ 1969. For a full account of the different phases of the castle of Bouka, at the tip of the peninsula of Preveza, and its placement within the context of the present topography see KARABELAS 2010, 402-418. 70 NIKOS D. KARABELAS 982 SOURCES Acta Albaniae Veneta, J. vALENtINI (Ed.), Acta Albaniae Veneta Saeculorum XIV et XV, vol. I-XXV, Palermo – Milano – München – Roma, 1967-1977 ASV, Senato Secreti XXI: Archivio di Stato di Venezia. Senato, Deliberazioni, Secreti. Registri (secc. XIV-XVI in.). Liber xximus Secretorum Consilij Rogatorum inceptus in Mcccclx die primo mensis Martii Ducante Serenissimo principe et Excellentissimo domino domino Pascale Maripetro dei gratia Inclito Duce Venetiarum et cetera. (01.03.1460-29.02.1464) ASV, Senato Secreti XXII: Archivio di Stato di Venezia. Senato, Deliberazioni, Secreti. Registri (secc. XIV-XVI in.). Liber xxijdus Secretorum Consilij Rogatorum inceptus in Mcccclxiiij die primo mensis Martij Ducante Serenissimo principe et Excellentissimo domino domino Christophoro Mauro dei gratia inclito Duce Venetiarum et cetera. (02.03.1464-12.09.1466) Cronaca: G. Schirò (Ed.), Cronaca dei Tocco di Cefalonia di anonimo. Prolegomeni, testo critic e traduzione, (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae. Series Italica 10), Rome, 1975. ΙΑΝ, Collection of Maps and Prints of Actia Nicopolis Foundation, Preveza, Greece. Joannes VI Cantacuzenus, Historiae: L. Schopen (Ed.), Ioannis Cantacuzeni eximperatoris historiarum libri iv, 3 vols. [Corpus scriptorum historiae Byzantinae] Bonn, 18281832. The Chronicle of Morea Gr., P.P. KALONAROS (Ed.), Το Χρονικόν του Μορέως [in Greek], Athens, 1940 The Chronicle of Morea Arag., A. mOREL-FAtIO (Ed.), Libro de los fechos et conquistas del principado de la Morea: Chronique de Morée aux XIIIe et XIVe siecles, Genéve, 1885 The Chronicle of Morea Fr., J. LONgNON (Ed.), Livre de la conqueste de la Princée de l’Amorée: Chronique de Morée (1204-1305), Paris, 1911 The Chronicle of Morea Ital., C. hOpF (Ed.), Versione Italiana inedita della Cronaca di Morea, Chroniques gréco-romanes inédites ou peu connues, Berlin, 1873, 414-468 THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 983 LIST OF WORKS CITED ABOu-EL-hAJ R.A., 1967, Ottoman diplomacy at Karlowitz, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 87, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec. 1967), 498-512 ABOu-EL-hAJ R.A., 1969, The formal closure of the Ottoman frontier in Europe: 1699-1703, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 89, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep. 1969), 467-475 ARI B. (Ed.), 2002, Pirî Reis. Kitâb-ı Bahriye. Book of Navigation, Ankara ARAvANtINOS P., 1856-1857, Χρονογραφία της Ηπείρου των τε ομόρων ελληνικών και ιλλυρικών χωρών διατρέχουσα κατά σειράν τα εν αυταίς συμβάντα από του σωτηρίου έτους μέχρι του 1854, [Chronicle of events that incured in Epeiros and the neighbouring Greek and Illyric territories from the 1st year up to 1854, in Greek], vol. Ι-ΙΙ, Athens ASONItIS S.N., 2005, Το Νότιο Ιόνιο κατά τον Όψιμο Μεσαίωνα. Κομητεία Κεφαλληνίας, Δουκάτο Λευκάδας, Αιτωλοακαρνανία, [The southern Ionian Sea in the late Middle Ages. County of Cephalonia, Duchy of Lefkas, Etoloakarnania, in Greek], Athens ASONItIS S.N., 2009, Η Κέρκυρα και τα ηπειρωτικά παράλια στα τέλη του Μεσαίωνα (1386-1462), [Corfu and the Mainland coast in the late Middle Ages (1386-1462), in Greek], Thessaloniki BARKAN Ö.L., 1964, 894 (1488/1489) yili Cizyesinin Tahsilâtina âit Muhasebe Bilânçolari, Belgeler 1, 10-120 BODNAR E.W., 1960, Cyriacus of Ancona and Athens, Bruxelles – Berchem BuchON J.A., 1825, Collection des Chroniques nationales Françaises, écrites en langue vulgaire du treizième au seizième siècle, avec notes et éclaircissements (vol. IV); Chronique de la conquête de Constantinople et de l’établissement des Français en Morée, écrite en vers politiques par un auteur anonyme dans les premières années du XIVe siècle, et traduite pour la première fois d’après le manuscrit grec inédit, Paris chALKIA E., 1987, Πρέβεζα. Άγιος Νικόλαος, [Preveza. Saint Nikolaos, in Greek], Αρχαιολογικό Δελτίο 42, Χρονικά Β1, 330-332 Delilbaşi M., 1991, Η Ιστορία της Πρέβεζας το 16ο αιώνα σύμφωνα με τις φορολογικές απογραφές της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας, [The History of Preveza in the 16th century according to the Taxation Registers of the Ottoman Empire, in Greek], Πρεβεζάνικα Χρονικά 25, 23-29 Delilbaşi M., 1993, History of Preveza in the XVIth century, according to the Ottoman Taxation Registers, in: v.g. AvDIKOS (Ed.), The History of Preveza (Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium, Preveza, 22-24 September 1989), Preveza, 57-71 Delilbaşi M., 2009, Population figures in the sancak of Yanya (Ioannina) - 16th century, Archivum Ottomanicum 26, Wiesbaden, 299-320 984 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FOuRIKIS P.A., 1924, Η Πρέβεζα. Θέσις, κτίσις, όνομα, [Preveza. Location, Foundation, Name, in Greek], Επετηρίς Εταιρείας Βυζαντινών Σπουδών 1, 274-294 FouriKiS P.A., 1929, Μικρά συμβολή εις την ηπειρωτικήν ιστορίαν. Νικόπολις - Πρέβεζα. 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ZAchOS (Eds.), Landscape Archaeology in southern Epirus, Greece I, (Hesperia Supplement 32), Athens, 157-198 KadaS S., 1996, Τα εικονογραφημένα χειρόγραφα, [The illustrated manuscripts, in Greek], in: Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi; Tradition – History – Art, vol. 2, Athos, 575-597 KarabelaS N.d., 2006, In Charta – Prints of Preveza, Preveza KarabelaS N.d., 2009, Ο Άγγλος γιατρός Henry Holland στην περιοχή της Πρέβεζας, [The English doctor Henry Holland in the region of Preveza, in Greek], Πρεβεζάνικα Χρονικά 45-46, 143-215 KarabelaS N.d., 2010, Το κάστρο της Μπούκας (1478-1701). Η οχυρωμένη Πρέβεζα μέσα από τις πηγές, [The castle of Bouka (1478-1701). Fortiied Preveza through sources, in Greek with English abstract], in: M. Vrelli-Zachou & ch. StaVraKoS (Scient. Eds.) Preveza B. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium for the History and Culture of Preveza (16-20 September 2009), Preveza, vol. Ι, 395-433 KarabelaS N.d. & MaMalouKoS S.b., 1994, Nicopolis - Preveza. The collection of Nikos D. Karabelas and other private archives, Preveza KoKolaKiS M., 2003, Το ύστερο Γιαννιώτικο πασαλίκι. Χώρος, διοίκηση και πληθυσμός στην Τουρκοκρατούμενη Ήπειρο (1820-1913), [The late pashalic of Jannina. Range, administration and population in Ottoman Epeiros (1820-1913), in Greek], Athens THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE 985 KoMiS K., 1999, Δημογραφικές όψεις της Πρέβεζας 16ος-18ος αιώνας, [Demographic aspects of Preveza, 16th-18th century, in Greek], Ioannina KoNStaNtaKi a., 2010, Η πόλη της Πρέβεζας και η Νικόπολη από τα τέλη του 11ου έως τις αρχές του 20ού αι., [The city of Preveza and Nikopolis from the end of the 11th to the turn of the 20th century, in Greek with English abstract], in: M. Vrelli-Zachou & ch. StaVraKoS (Scient. Eds.) Preveza B. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium for the History and Culture of Preveza (16-20 September 2009), Preveza, vol. Ι, 3-31 KreKić B., 1961, Dubrovnik (Raguse) et le Levant au Moyen Âge, (Documents et Recherches V), Paris – La Haye MalteZou ch.a., 1983, Προσωπογραφικά βυζαντινής Πελοποννήσου και ξενοκρατούμενου ελληνικού χώρου (με αφορμή τον φάκελο Foscari της Βενετίας), [Prosopographies of Byzantine Peloponnese and occupied Hellenic territory (on the occasion of the Foscari ile of Venice), in Greek], Βυζαντινά Σύμμεικτα 5, 1-27 NaVari l., 2010, Coronelli’s Maps of Preveza, in: M. Vrelli-Zachou & ch. StaVraKoS (Scient. Eds.) Preveza B. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium for the History and Culture of Preveza (16-20 September 2009), Preveza, vol. Ι, 169-186 Nicol D.M., 1984, The Despotate of Epiros 1267-1479; A contribution to the history of Greece in the middle ages, Cambridge Piccirillo M. (Ed.), 2003, Io Notaio Nicola de Martoni. Il pellegrinaggio ai Luoghi Santi da Carinola a Gerusalemme 1394-1395, Jerusalem (Illinois) SathaS K.N., 1869, Τουρκοκρατούμενη Ελλάς. 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KARABELAS SouStal P. & Koder J., 1981, Nikopolis und Kephallēnia, Wien (Tabula Imperii Byzantini 3) toledo MaNSilla P., 2010, Notes concerning the Battle of Preveza (1538) according to the testimony of Ottoman chroniclers and historians of 16th and 17th centuries and later times, in: M. Vrelli-Zachou & ch. StaVraKoS (Scient. Eds.) Preveza B. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium for the History and Culture of Preveza (16-20 September 2009), Preveza, vol. Ι, 139-167 toliaS G., 2002, Τα Νησολόγια. Η μοναξιά και η συντροφιά των νησιών, [Isolarios. The loneliness and companionship of the islands, in Greek], Athens toliaS G., 2008, Ιστορία της χαρτογραφίας του Ελληνικού χώρου 1420-1800. Χάρτες της συλλογής Μαργαρίτας Σαμούρκα, [The history of chartography of the Hellenic region 1420-1800. Maps of the Margarita Samourka’s collection, in Greek], Athens VeleNiS G., 1991, Το κάστρο του Παντοκράτορα στην Πρέβεζα, [The castle of Pantokrator in Preveza, in Greek], Thessaloniki (unpublished study) VlaNtiS S.A., 1902, Η Λευκάς υπό τους Φράγκους, τους Τούρκους και τους Ενετούς (1204-1797), [Lefkas under the Franks, the Turks and the Venetians (12041797), in Greek], Lefkas wiSeMaN J., 2001, Landscape Archaeology in the Territory of Nikopolis, in: J. iSaGer (Ed.), Foundation and Destruction. Nikopolis and Northwestern Greece. The archaeological evidence for the city destructions, the foundation of Nikopolis and the synoecism, Athens, 43-63 wriGht d.G. & MacKay P.a., 2007, When the Serenissima and the Gran Turco made love: The peace treaty of 1478, Studi Veneziani LIII, 261-277 ZachoS K.L., 2007, Η οχύρωση και η πολεοδομική οργάνωση της ρωμαϊκής Νικόπολης: Νεότερα στοιχεία και παρατηρήσεις, [Fortiication and city-planning of Nicopolis; Recent data and remarks, in Greek with English abstract], in: K.l. ZachoS (Scient. Ed.) Nicopolis B. Proceedings of the Second International Nicopolis Symposium (11-15 September 2002), Preveza, vol. Ι, 273-298; vol. II, 155-171 ZachoS K.l., KalPaKiS d., KaPPa ch. & KyrKou th., 2008, Νικόπολη. Αποκαλύπτοντας την πόλη της νίκης του Αυγούστου, [Nicopolis. Revealing the city of Augustus’ victory, in Greek], Athens Ziebarth E., 1926, Κυριακός ο εξ Αγκώνος εν Ηπείρω, [Cyriacus of Ancona in Epeiros, in Greek], Ηπειρωτικά Χρονικά 1, 110-119 THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 1: Map of Epirus and Acarnania, northwestern Greece (Processed by John V. Papalexis) 987 988 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 2: Map of Preveza’s region (Processed by John V. Papalexis) THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 3: Detail of the manuscript map by Henricus Martellus, c. 1485 (Ms. 483, Condè Museum, Chantilly, France) 989 990 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 4: Decision of the Venetian Senate of 21st August 1463 (ASV, Senato Secreti XXI, f. 179r.) FIguRE 5a: Decision of the Venetian Senate 6th May 1465 (ASV, Senato Secreti XXII, lower part of f. 84r.) THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 5b: Decision of the Venetian Senate 6th May 1465 (ASV, Senato Secreti XXII, middle part of f. 85r.) FIguRE 5c: Decision of the Venetian Senate 6th May 1465 (ASV, Senato Secreti XXII, middle part of f. 85v.) 991 992 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 6: Map of Preveza and Santa Maura before the Sea Battle of Preveza (Woodcut from GeneSio 1538, f.p.4) THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 7: Preveza and Santa Maura. Manuscript of 1521 by Pirî Reis (Detail of Ms. 642, Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, Turkey) 993 994 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 8: The Sea Battle of Preveza. Copperplate by Antonio Salamanca, c. 1540 (Detail of IAN 105, Actia Nicopolis Foundation, Preveza, Greece) THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 9: Detail of a manuscript plan of Preveza by I. Inghirami, 1605 (Inghirami archive, Volterra, Italy, f. H. bis in. XXI bis) 995 996 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 10: Giovanni L. Mauro’s plan of the castle of Bouka and Preveza, 1685 (Right hand part of Mss. It. cl. VII 94[=10051] n.34, B.N.M.V., Venice, Italy) THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF PREVEZA AND ITS FIRST CASTLE FIguRE 11: Plan of the castle of Bouka based on G. L. Mauro’s manuscript (Drawing by Stavros Mamaloukos & Giorgos Manos, KarabelaS 2010, 429) 997 998 NIKOS D. KARABELAS FIguRE 12: The plan of the castle of Bouka superimposed on a satellite image. Positioning of the castle within the context of the present topography