Page 122 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

122 from Italy to the Canary Islands

tween the two maritime powers leading up to the decisive fight at Korčula
in 1298. We could mention the dispute between galleys in 1293 at Corone;
then, several months later, the Venetian response in Limassol. There was
then a clash in 1294 at Laiazzo, in which the Genoese Nicolino Spinola
defeated the fleet led by Marco Baseggio. To these minor battles we should
also add the skirmishes drawn out over the years, in the Ionian Sea, in the
Aegean Sea, on the Bosphorus, and in the Black Sea. Lamba Doria de-
feated the Venetians of Andrea Dandolo before the coastline of Dalmatia.
After this battle, in which the doge Dandolo met his death, followed peace,
stipulated in 1299 and requested by Pope Boniface VIII.
th
“At the dawn of the 14 century, Genoa was still governed by the Lam-
ba Doria-Corrado Spinola diarchy. They were succeeded by the annual
and foreign Podestà, until the new diarchy of Bernabò Doria and Opizzino
Spinola di Lucori, which remained in office from 1306 to 1309. It was cer-
tainly not up to the standard set by the Captaincy of the two Obertis, who
ruled with wisdom and authority; peace was not guaranteed in and around
the city, and the conflicts between factions and political associations con-
tinued. Spinola, who was very ambitious, removed Doria, declaring him-
self permanent Captain and Rector of the People; but the united aristocracy
removed his power, with the authority of Twelve Governors, both noble-
men and common people, which governed until the Rule of Henry VII of
Luxembourg.”(G. Benvenuti, op.cit., page 85).
In between the two victorious battles of Meloria and Korčula, in 1291
some sailors left Genoa, this time not to join with other galleys in view of a
conflict with a rival on the sea or to support the Crusades in the Holy Land,
but, mainly, to follow an Atlantic route, thus circumnavigating Africa. We
do not know how people found out about this new “Spice Route”, but this
did not seem to bother the two Vivaldi brothers, Vadino and Ugolino (we
will speak about them in detail further on, in the fifth chapter), who, man-
ning two galleys, set out on a journey, we can truly say, of no return. So,
it is believed that, with two friars minor on board, they went beyond the
Pillars of Hercules and, sailing along the coast of the African continent,
reached the Cape of Good Hope; then, working their way back up along
the eastern coast, it is believed they arrived at those lands now referred to
as Somalia. On arrival there, so go the tales - or perhaps the legends, to
be more precise -, they were taken prisoner and led to Axum in Ethiopia
where the Christian King, a certain Prester John, helped them together
with all their crew. Between 1320 and 1325 the son of Ugolino Vivaldi,