First Ottoman-Venetian War Begins

1463

After Ottoman raids into Venetian holdings in the Peloponnese, the Serenissima declared war. The conflict would last sixteen years, drain the Republic's treasury, and end with Venice ceding Negroponte. The Mediterranean balance had tipped; Venice, once dominant, now had to negotiate for every island. The loss of Negroponte in 1470, where the garrison was massacred, shocked the Mediterranean and demonstrated Ottoman willingness to punish resistance.