The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish ConquestVillari, Luigi
History
The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish Conquest
Villari, Luigi
Dubrovnik (Croatia) -- History
given in the untrustworthy chronicle of Resti, and some information
in the _Diplomatarium_. According to Resti, the Ragusans at first
drove back the Bosnians, but the latter were soon reinforced and again
invaded the Republic’s territory. Encounters took place at Bergato and
Gionchetto, and 4000 well-armed Ragusans commanded by Giacomo Gondola
tried to induce the enemy to give battle, but without success, as the
latter retired to Trebinje. Probably the Ragusans were defeated, as we
find the Senate asking for the mediation of the Hungarian king shortly
after. But the difficulty was, which king, as Ladislas was now in
Dalmatia. The tortuous nature of Ragusan diplomacy is well illustrated
by the contemporaneous embassies to Ladislas, Sigismund, and Hrvoje.
They did not wish to commit themselves by sending regular ambassadors
to Ladislas, as Sigismund might still gain the upper hand, so they
merely sent a monk, Marino Bodazza, ostensibly to obtain compensation
for the property taken by the pretender’s followers. But a request for
mediation in the Bosnian quarrel was also hinted at. Ladislas replied
that he would consider the matter if a proper embassy were sent to him.
This the Senate refused to do, upon which Ladislas declared Ragusa to
be his enemy. But, fortunately for the Republic, Sigismund regained
his freedom, and collected a large army in northern Hungary, while
Ladislas returned to Italy. An embassy was then sent to Sigismund, the
envoys being instructed to go first to Hrvoje, the Duke of Spalato,
to complain of Ostoja’s conduct, and suggest that he himself might
become King of Bosnia; but if he did not care to go so far, he might
help some other member of the Kotromanić family, or Paul Radissić,
who had been living at Ragusa for the past two years, to acquire the
crown. Ragusa had always been friendly to the old Bosnian dynasty, and
had given refuge to many of its exiled princes. At the same time they
were to inform him that Ostoja, on seeing the retreat of Ladislas,
had sent envoys to Sigismund to intrigue against him (Hrvoje). If the
latter broached the subject of Ragusa’s relations with Ladislas they
were to say: “We are the subjects of the Crown of Hungary, and whoever
is actually King of Hungary is our suzerain.” They were to proceed to
Sigismund’s court only if Hrvoje advised them to do so. If they did
go on to Hungary they were instructed to try to obtain for Ragusa the
suzerainty over the three large islands of Lesina, Curzola, and Brazza,
to discover what were the provisions of the treaty which was being
negotiated between Ostoja and Sigismund, and to warn the latter against
the Bosnian king’s fickleness, and induce him to insist that that
potentate should give up the territory he had filched from the Republic
in the last war, and pay compensation for the damages, calculated at
200,000 ducats, for which he was responsible. They were also to suggest
that he should come to terms with Hrvoje, who might help him to reduce
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