So began the schism which divided Western Christendom for thirty-eight
years. Italy, excepting the kingdom of Joanna of Naples, adhered to her
native pontiff; Germany and Bohemia to the pontiff who had recognized
King Wenceslaus as emperor; England to the pontiff hostile to
France;[66] Hungary to the pontiff who might support her pretentions to
Naples; Poland and the Northern kingdoms, with Portugal, espoused the
same cause. France at first stood almost alone in support of her
subject, of a pope at Avignon instead of at Rome. Scotland only was with
Clement, because England was with Urban. So Flanders was with Urban
because France was with Clement. The uncommon abilities of Peter di
Luna, the Spanish cardinal (afterward better known under a higher
title), detached successively the Spanish kingdoms, Castile, Aragon, and
Navarre, from allegiance to Pope Urban.
GENOESE SURRENDER TO VENETIANS
A.D. 1380
HENRY HALLAM
Prolonged commercial rivalry between Genoa and Venice
brought them to a state of bitter jealousy which led to
furious wars. In the second half of the twelfth century
Genoa established her power on the Black Sea, and aimed at a
commercial monopoly in that region. This aroused the
Venetians to anger and led to open hostilities. The first
war growing out of these antagonisms between the two
republics began in 1257, and throughout the rest of the
thirteenth century hostilities were almost continuous.
In 1351 the Venetians formed an alliance against Genoa with
the Greeks and Aragonese, and, in the ensuing war, the
advantage gained by Genoa was confirmed by a treaty of peace
in 1355. But this peace lasted only until 1378, when a
dispute arose between Genoa and Venice in relation to the
island of Tenedos, in the AEgean Sea, of which the Venetians
had taken possession.
The Venetians, having denounced Genoa as false to all its
oaths and obligations, formally declared war in April, after
several acts of hostility had occurred in the Levant. Of all
the wars between the rival states, this was the most
remarkable and led to the most important consequences.
Genoa did not stand alone in this war. A formidable confederacy was
raised against Venice, which had given provocation to many enemies. Of
this Francis Carrara, seignior of Padua, and the King of Hungary were
the leaders. But the principal struggle was, as usual, upon the waves.
During the winter of 1378 a Genoese fleet kept the sea, and ravaged the
shores of Dalmatia. The Venetian armament had been weakened by an
epidemic disease, and when Vittor Pisani, their admiral, gave battle to
the enemy, he was compelled to fight with a hasty conscription of
landsmen against the best sailors in the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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