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Other 17th-century conflicts

Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars

FRANÇOIS COLLIGNON (C.1610-87)

Battle of the Dardanelles, 1656

VITORIA OTTENVTA DALA SEREN.MA / REPVBLICA DI VENETIA / CONTRA TVRCHI / LANNO M·D·C·LVI· ADI XXVI / GIVGNO COMANDATA DAL / ECC.mo SIG.r LORENZO MARCELLO

1656 or later

Etching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edge, right | 34.3 x 23.0 cm (image and neatline) | RCIN 723111

A high oblique view of the Third Battle of the Dardanelles fought on 26 and 27 June between the combined fleets of the Republic of Venice and the Order of St John (Malta), commanded by Admiral Lorenzo Marcello (1603-56) and Gregorio Carafa (1615-90), Grand Master of the Order of St John, and the fleet of the Ottoman Empire resulting in the greatest Venetian victory since the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Cretan War (Fifth Ottoman-Venetian War) (1645-69). Oriented with east to top (compass rose). 

This print shows the Venetian fleet at the west end of the strait, unable to proceed because of the unfavourable wind direction; when the wind changed on 26 June, its effect was to pin the Ottoman fleet to the south side of the strait, allowing the Venetians to attack, shown in the top half of the print. The Venetian Admiral Marcello was killed and his ship, the Sultan San Marco (identified on the print by the figure '1' ran aground and was abandoned. In spite of this, the resounding defeat of the Ottoman fleet, shown retreating top left, allowed the Venetians to occupy the strategically valuable islands of Tenedos (shown bottom right of the cartouche) and Lemnos.

  • François Collignon (c.1610-87) (printmaker and publisher) [right centre, bottom of key:] fran.co Collignon Sculp. / Romæ con licentia de Sup. / Imparione. Horatio Mari / naro Sotto i Massimi.

    Horatio Marinari (active 1634-56) (publisher)

  • Watermark: Map: crown and six-pointed star in circle. Mount: none.

    Condition: slight brown discolouration, more pronounced on the verso

  • 34.3 x 23.0 cm (image and neatline)

    cropped (platemark)

    34.7 x 23.4 cm (sheet)

    37.3 x 26.5 cm (mount)

  • Printed title:

    VITORIA OTTENVTA DALA SEREN.MA / REPVBLICA DI VENETIA / CONTRA TVRCHI / LANNO M·D·C·LVI· ADI XXVI / GIVGNO COMANDATA DAL / ECC.mo SIG.r LORENZO MARCELLO [bottom centre, in cartouche]

    Additional text:

    [right, in rectangular panel, a key, 1-29.]

    Annotations:

    George III heading: Naval Engagement in the Dardanelles 26 June 1656.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, black pencil:] Dardanelles. (Verso) none.

    George III catalogue entry:

    Dardanelles Vitoria ottenuta dala Seren. Republica di Venetia contra Turchi adi 26 Giugno 1656 presso i Dardanelli, comandata da Lorenzo Marcello: da F. Collignon et H Marinaro. [The same entry appears under the heading Naval Engagement.]

  • Subject(s)

    Dardanelles, Turkey (40°13ʹ52ʺN 26°28ʹ47ʺE)

  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    Mark McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 3229

Page revisions

  • 14 March 2024