Battle of Settepozzi

Battle of Settepozzi
Part of the War of Saint Sabas
Map of the restored Byzantine Empire of Michael VIII Palaiologos and the surrounding states in 1265
Date First half of 1263 Location Off Spetses, Argolic Gulf, Greece 37°15′N 23°06′E / 37.250°N 23.100°E / 37.250; 23.100 Result Venetian victory
Belligerents
Republic of Venice	Republic of Genoa Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Guiberto Dandolo	Pietro Avvocato † Lanfranco Spinola 2 unnamed admirals
Strength
32 galleys	38 galleys 10 saette[a] (only 14 engaged)
Casualties and losses
20 killed 400 wounded	600 killed or wounded 400 captured 4 galleys captured
class=notpageimage| Location within present-day Greece

The Battle of Settepozzi was fought in the first half of 1263 off the Greek island of Settepozzi (the medieval Italian name for Spetses) between a Genoese–Byzantine fleet and a smaller Venetian fleet.

Genoa and the Byzantines had been allied against Venice since the Treaty of Nymphaeum in 1261, while Genoa, in particular, had been engaged in the War of Saint Sabas against Venice from 1256. In 1263, a Genoese fleet of 48 ships, which was sailing to the Byzantine stronghold of Monemvasia, encountered a Venetian fleet of 32 ships. The Genoese decided to attack, but only two of the four admirals of the Genoese fleet and 14 of its ships took part in the engagement, and were easily routed by the Venetians, who captured four vessels and inflicted considerable casualties.

The Venetian victory and the demonstration of Genoese reluctance to confront them in battle had considerable political repercussions, as the Byzantines began to distance themselves from their alliance with Genoa and restored their relations with Venice, concluding a five-year non-aggression pact in 1268. After Settepozzi, the Genoese avoided confrontation with the Venetian navy, instead focusing on commerce raiding. This did not prevent another, even more lopsided and complete defeat at the Battle of Trapani in 1266.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).