BONEVENTURA PEETERS-THE ELDER
THE NAVAL BATTLE OF THE FOCCHIES, 12th May 1649
Battle of the Venetian Fleet and hired Dutch and English ships against the Turks in Foja Bay, 1649
A view of the
Naval Battle of the Focchies, fought on 12 May 1649 in the Bay of Foça (Foça Limani) between the Ottomans and the Venetians with the Knights of Malta combined with hired Dutch and English ships, commanded by Giacomo Riva, resulting in a Venetian victory. The
Cretan War also known as the War of Candia (Guerra di Candia or the Fifth Ottoman-Venetian War (1645-1669). The presence of the Dutch flags identify the engagement as the only battle in the Cretan Wars in which Dutch mercenary vessels participated.
The Dutch shipswhich participated in the Naval Battle of the Focchies, 12th May 1649 were: T
he Galion Cornaro,
Wapen van Genuam,
Vergulden Arent,
Gerechte Salomons,
Galion Contarini,
Jupiter,
Haen,
Abrahams Offrande,
Swaen,
Groote Lieffde,
Fortuyn and
Engel – _see R.C. Anderson,
Naval Wars in the Levant, 1952, p.125.Admiral de Riva gives the names of the vessels in Italian – _see R.C. Anderson,
Op. Cit, p.137. However, it is clear that
Giudizio Salomon,
Jupiter,
Sacrificio d’abram and
Fregata Contarini are the Dutch ships hired in 1646. It is possible that a fifth,
Carita was the Dutch ship
Groote Lieffde.
The Ottoman vessels are clearly demarcated by their flags carrying the crescent moon and the flags carrying the emblem of the lions of the Venetian fleet are equally visible. The flag of the cross of the Knights of Malta is visible on the masts of a few vessels. However, it is important to note that the Dutch flags of the Tricolor and ‘Bloedvlag’ fly prominently on a number of vessels in the foreground.
In 1646 the Venetian fleet had been supplemented by a squadron of twelve ships which had been hired from the Netherlands. At the Battle of Focchies, Admiral Giacomo Riva’s fleet included 4 of these ships and Bonaventura Peeters, who was commissioned to paint this subject, clearly wanted to emphasis the Dutch participation. The battle was regarded as a great victory for the Venetian fleet and a schematic which illustrates the order of battle was engraved by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi. The naval battle of the Focchies was also painted by Abraham Beerstraten.
The ships depicted from left to right:
- A Venetian ship bearing the flag of the Republic of Venice flag
- An English vessel sailing in front
- A Turkish galleas
- A French merchantman
- Several other ships are seen in the distance
- In the centre the flagship the Rotta Fortuna of the Venetian Admiral Giacomo de Riva flying the flag of Venice. The pennant signifies the commander is on board. She is engaging in battle with:
- The flag ship of the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Empire flying the pendant, signifying he is on board the ship.
- Another vessel from the Serenissima, is also engaging in battle with the Ottoman ship.
- A Dutch ship is engaging in battle. She is flying the double red-white-blue Prinsenvlag signifying the commander is on board.
- In the distance we see an Ottoman ship.
- Furthermore, we see an English vessel bearing the flag of the Republic of Venice
- Next to it a Dutch two-master is engaging in battle. She is also bearing the same flag signifying they were under command of the Venetian Admiral.
- More to the right a French merchant vessel is depicted, more specific a ship from Dunkirk
- On the far right there is a Dutch merchantman, also bearing the double tricolour, also called the Prinsenvlag
The
Prince’s Flag is based on the flag of Prince William of Orange-Nassau, hence the name. The colours are orange, white and blue. The first reference to the naval flag in these colours dates to 1587, when the Admiralty of Zeeland ordered these flags to fly on their warships. The naval flag was used by the
Watergeuzen (
Gueux de mer, ‘’Sea Baggers’’), the pro-Dutch privateers during the Dutch Revolt. According to the Waard, the Dutch navy between 1588 and 1630 always displayed the Prince’s Flag, and after 1663 always with the red-white-blue
Statenvlag. The latter was introduced gradually during the 1630s to the 1650s, and named ‘’States Flag’’ in 1664.
The
Flag of the Republic of Venice, commonly known as the Banner or Standard of Saint Mark (
Stendaro di San Marco), was the symbol of the Republic of Venice, until its dissolution in 1797. Its main charge was the Lion of Saint Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of Venice. Sometimes, the figure of the lion is depicted alongside that of the Doge kneeling before the symbol of the Evangelist, as can be seen today in many sculptural works in Venice.
Galleys (Galeien): A galley was a type of ship which relied mostly on oars for propulsion that was used for warfare, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It typically had a long, slender hull, shallow draft, and often a low freeboard. Most types of galleys also had sails that could be used in favorable winds, but they relied primarily on oars to move independently of winds and currents. It developed in the Mediterranean Sea region during antiquity and continued to exist in various forms until the early 19
th century.
From around 1450, three major naval powers established a dominance of the Mediterranean, using galleys as their primary weapon on sea. In war, galleys were used in landing raids, as troop transports and were very effective in amphibious warfare. While they usually served in wars or for defense against piracy, galleys also served as trade vessels. Although being gradually replaced by sailing ships, galleys formed still a large part of the Mediterranean navies during the 17th century.
Galleons (Galjoenen): large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and first used as armed cargo carriers by Europeans from the 16
th to the 18
th centuries and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the mid-1600s. Galleons were purpose-built warships, and were stronger, more heavily armed, cheaper to build and were therefore a much better investment for use as warships or transports. It was a full-rigged sailing ship that was built primarily for war, and which developed in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The name derived from “galley,” which had come to be synonymous with “war vessel” and whose characteristic beaked prow the new ship retained. A high, square forecastle rose behind the bow, the three or four masts carried both square and fore-and-aft sails, and one or two tiers of guns were carried broadside.
Galleas: a warship that combined the sails and armament of a galleon with the maneuverability of the oared galley. While never quite matching up to the full expectations for its design, the galleass nevertheless remained in use during the 16
th and 17
th centuries. Venetian galleasses fought at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, their fire power helping to break the force of the first Turkish attack, and eventually helping to win victory for the Holy League fleet.
A BIOGRAPHY OF BONAVENTURA PEETERS I
