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Remembering Lepanto (Oct 7, 1571): The Battle that saved Europe from Islam

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Paladin:
The Venetians and Genoese were implacable foes when it came to trade with the East. Their mutual animosity went deeper then any threat provided by the Muslims or the Mongols.

One interesting footnote: Marco Polo was a Venetian imprisoned in a Genoese jail as a result of one of the battles between the two cities. It was there he recounted his adventures to a fellow prisoner who wrote them down and had them published as "The Travels of Marco Polo". The impact of the book was enormous as it caused Western Europe to seriously begin looking toward the East. Which led to the spice trade, which led to people like Columbus seeking alternative routes to break the Venetian monopoly, and so on.

PzLdr:

--- Quote from: Paladin on October 09, 2015, 04:12:49 am ---The Venetians and Genoese were implacable foes when it came to trade with the East. Their mutual animosity went deeper then any threat provided by the Muslims or the Mongols.

One interesting footnote: Marco Polo was a Venetian imprisoned in a Genoese jail as a result of one of the battles between the two cities. It was there he recounted his adventures to a fellow prisoner who wrote them down and had them published as "The Travels of Marco Polo". The impact of the book was enormous as it caused Western Europe to seriously begin looking toward the East. Which led to the spice trade, which led to people like Columbus seeking alternative routes to break the Venetian monopoly, and so on.

--- End quote ---

The Age of Exploration was the result of the fracturing of the Mongol Empire into several rival Khanates, and the loss of safe passage on the Silk Road as a result of that fracturing.

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