The Naval War of Chioggia
The proximity of the Serenissima Republic improved the dynamics of port activities, particularly seen in the improvements made to its maritime defense structures, as most threats arrived from the sea.
The Republic of Venice, in its aggression against the maritime trade of Chioggia, eventually pushed Chioggia into an alliance with Genoa. The economic rivalry between these two great medieval maritime republics was resolved only by the naval war of Chioggia in 1378, formally ending in 1381 with the Peace of Turin.
The maritime war, with Venice’s victory, subdued Chioggia’s commercial vitality for many centuries, reducing it to a fishing port, a salt producer, and limited trade with the Istrian and Dalmatian coast.
The Venetians immediately rebuilt the city and strengthened it with even more defensive structures, many designed by Michele Sanmicheli (1484-1559), who constructed walls and fortifications. These include the 14th-century Fort of San Felice.
Unlike Venice, Chioggia did not quickly recover its pre-war prosperity, and throughout the 15th century, it struggled to achieve economic, social, and demographic recovery.
