Defence of Korcula

Dalmatia (the dark purple) within todays modern Croatia. The island of Korcula is marked red.

Written by Antun Rosanovic of the historical event of the 1571 battle in which the people of the island of Korcula defended themselves against the Ottoman Empire. Originally written in Latin.

The Story

On the insistence from those who were impressed with this successful defence of the city, my hometown, obviously with God’s help, wishing to describe this glorious happening, I have decided to satisfy that demand with this commentary. But you heavenly mother, who in those terrible moments we strongly believe that you definitely came to our help; when you then, to me, your undeserving servant, with your inspiration, guided us, please do the same now and guide me while describing this glory as well as our thankfulness, please guide my hand and my pen along the path to the truth.

SELIM, the tricky Ottoman Turkish emperor conducting a fierce war, has taken from Venice almost all of the island of Cyprus except for Famagusta. Confident with these successes , at the beginning of May he orders gathering of a large fleet to go against Christians, and especially against Venetians. Over here, rumours spread about this armada, and fear among people multiplied, that Turks are already approaching our borders and each day they are supposed to be getting more and more aggressive.

On second day of August, unexpectedly a group of refugees sailed in, those that we called Uskoci , they came from Epir and they confessed to us that Ulcinj which is about 80 miles south east of here, is in danger from land forces, and that on the sea they have seen many galleys near Ulcinj, and that they had hard time getting away from them. They were not sure who these galleys belonged to, but they suspected that these must belong to pirate Karalcozije and his cohorts. Next day another group arrived from Perasto (Perasto is a town in Bay of Boca) and they confirmed the news about the Turkish fleet all around Ulcinj. And they told us how they were forced to abandon their boat and they barely survived by getting away in a dinghy. Actually this story we did not believe. What was hard to believe was that enemy’s ships have reached that far into our waters, knowing that christian navy was behind their backs. We didn’t know what to think. We were scared, everyone talked about what was to come, but no one knew for sure. People from Perasto (modern: Perast), ones that happened to be in our town, because of these rumours, all to the last one, boarded their boats and left the town. A word came from Epidaur, that Bar already capitulated, and that Kotor is in great danger of falling, also that danger is looming to all of Dalmatia.

In Curzola (modern: Korcula) there exists a place of worship, right next to Southern City walls which our ancestors dedicated to Virgin Mary and Saint Bartholomew in memory of past victory, in battle with Aragon Navy, on this Saints day. This chapel is hardly able to accommodate two or three persons. All around it is protected with wooden fencing. Here, every year on 4th of August, early in the morning, people gather all around, to show respect to our Lady of Snows. During this service the city’s rector suggested to bishop’s vicar this idea that it would be helpful to preach something that would pacify and calm down frightened public. Vicar passed this idea to another priest, but this one also excused himself, that he is not prepared. Then he, while asking for God’s help opens the book of psalms, which he was holding in his hands, then he started reading words from 61st psalm “ These two things I hear: The power is God’s, and to you Lord belongs the mercy.” During the service with these thoughts he began to talk. “ Hear you respected husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, all dear in Christ, as I spoke You have heard, now by me spoken David’s thought. Think about it, I beg you, from it double powerful Gods power, from which one is a witness how to almighty God nothing is impossible, while the other shows his mercy towards us, so that; no one of us loves himself more than the love we receive from merciful God."

Town of Korcula (Curzola-1708)

Town of Korcula

And for sure I see myself and all of you around me, how we have all became weak. I ask you to forgive me, my dear ones, if I here appear to be magnifying this fear, but I feel that these times do not permit this to be made any worst. I also fear that we could invite God’s wrath, because of this much fear that we put on ourselves. If we in fact preach that God is merciful, if we believe that he is almighty; how then that those who in fact are against God more than against us, and we fear them more than God himself. Do we think that they are maybe stronger than God almighty? This is far from us who confess that God can do everything he wants, both in heavens and on the earth. Maybe we are afraid that God’s mercy has turned away from us? It is permissible to think about that, but under condition that no one of us loses hope in God, knowing that He is merciful and that we have to hope for his mercy. God will never forsake his mercifulness. In between God’s goodness and our lack of understanding, we by ourselves are creating barriers so that God’s help doesn’t descend on us, his undeserving servants. We have to remove this barrier, and then we will receive God’s mercy. Therefore, along with his help, it is up to us to remove this barrier. Every one of us must abandon meanness and turn towards Lord with humble heart, with confession and pennants, then Lord will turn towards us and show his great mercifulness. It is childish to cry from fear and suffering, which we deserved because of our misgivings. Our tears would be more useful, to throw away the fear, if we were prepared with clear conscience to accept either death or slavery or any other sacrifice sent to us by Lord, as penance for our sins, if we were to cry for insulting God’s goodness. We would need to first of all foresee this penalty for the sin and stay away from sin. Now, when many of us have sinned we don’t have to be afraid of cleansing, but receive God’s judgment for the good of our souls. And this is as I have said: we erred same as we now are not sinning. If we could only eliminate unbelievers, robberies, and all similar bad things. So that we don’t continue on this road, wouldn’t it be ideal if that in our hearts we don’t have any hate for anyone. Let us cleanse ourselves from any hatred and let us cry in front of our Lord, confess our sins and so that we are ready from hands of God stand to any sacrifice for the salvation of our body and soul. Now Lord himself is giving us these trials to see wether we are living up to the teachings of his only son our Lord Jesus Christ. With this, showing that we are Christians not only in name but in true conduct. One thing is for sure; all that are born on this world sooner or later, it is a given that they will also depart from this world. Doesn’t it in fact make more sense now that we have a chance to conduct our lives in the grace of merciful God, instead to waste ourselves in laziness and melancholy. We are trying so hard to be proud of our saints martyrs, but it is hard for us to follow their examples.

Where is the past wish for martyrdom, where is the old wish for those occasions; where are those sighs: “ God’s mercy is better than life; Precious is death of Saints; Blessed are those who die in Christ; Blessed are those who suffer exile; I am ready to receive punishment. Chains have come for me to celebrate. Even if armies come down on me, I am not afraid. Similar sayings is what we are almost daily saying, but down in our hearts we are afraid to implement. Listen to me brothers’ I never even thought of trying to talk you into abandoning your God if and when he would expose you to this torture; I am familiar with the indecisiveness in all of us, but anyway I am telling you and begging all of you to be ready to suffer the torture instead to negate your belief in our Lord Jesus Christ. Because after short suffering follows eternal happiness. If we give up on our God we feel eternal suffering and terrible torture I also feel it is needless to talk about this; and I am seeing your souls without need to make you any more brave. Something else is what I actually intended to talk to you about. It seems to me that you are preparing to run away. This I don’t approve, neither do I understand by which route you are planning to run away. On the sea all around us are appearing pirates, Narantani (modern: Neretljani), Herzegovinians and other enemies that surround us. To the East already in bay of Cattaro (modern: Kotor) is anchored all of Ottoman Turkish fleet, some 400 galleys. They may be even getting close to Dubrovnik or even closer. To the West we hear that around Lissa (modern: Vis) were spotted 10 galleys, that separated from this fleet. To the North nobody wants to receive us, and even if they take us we will become their servants and slaves. From Apulia which is to the South, we are separated by the wide sea expanse that makes it even worse, we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Be careful so that you don’t, God forbid, run into a bigger danger by trying to run away. But if you really have made up your mind to leave ,I pray God to protect you; while I, who not any less than you likes his life, I have decided to stay here, as they say, and try my luck.

Dalmatia's Coat of arms

I believe that enemy fleet will not go any more north past the bay of Kotor or past Ragusa (modern: Dubrovnik), since they left behind them large number of Venetian soldiers with their ships and galleys, larger and smaller, we expect that they will be joined to assist them, by Spanish and Papal fleets. I do have to admit that it can happen, that with the excuse of being our friends we get attacked by naval pirates, Neretljani, Herzegovinians or Karakozije, or even some other bandits and robbers, especially if they find out that we left our city. Because of all of what I said above, I am begging all of you, especially those who haven’t lost their heads, to stay here with me, and defend our place of birth, our parents and the bones of our ancestors, same like defending God’s temples, as long as we can.; so that we don’t let it happen that a handful of bandits clean out our abandoned city, where they could even set it on fire, this would be to our greatest shame. I am a witness that this altar to God and Virgin Mary and to Saint Bartul and Mark the evangelist, was blessed, as our fathers some time ago stood up to Aragonian ships, and inside the city walls, voluntarily closed the walls and repelled enemies attacks. Are we going to abandon that which we have received from our Grandfathers? It is far from us to be given this much of shame. But, from where are we going to find that many ships, so that all of us can be boarded? Let the crazy ones go because they will face greater dangers, than us, who are remaining here. We have nothing to fear but Gods hand from above. Even you, great ladies and mothers, I am asking you not to hold back your husbands, and talk bravely to your children. God the Creator loves you, he loves your children and this love is surpassing your motherly love, Give yourself to the Almighty, and dear God. Pray to the merciful Mother, she will ask her son for mercy, and son will show his wounds to his father, and because of these gifts that they gave, God will hear our prayers and save us from this danger. Fall down on your knees in front of our heavenly protectors Bartul and Marko. With their protection these fortified walls are standing. Humbly pray and you will be heard. Prayer will open up the heaven, is calling God, it is disbanding armies, the mean ones are made smaller, but the modest and good ones are made stronger and more brave. After these words we continued with our services, and we brought it to the ending. The public started to whisper and talk to one another.

See also

• Korcula History (Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula)
• Korcula Dialect

References

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Croatia Dubrovnik Neretva County Korčula Dalmatia Korcula History Korčula Dalmatian Venetian "[Korcula" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid. Venice