Venice’s long engagement with the Ottoman Empire stands at the heart of its role as a Mediterranean power. From the fifteenth century onward, the Republic developed a complex and enduring relationship with the Ottomans—marked by diplomacy and rivalry, commerce and conflict, mutual dependence and deep cultural exchange. As one of the few European states to maintain continuous contact with the Sublime Porte, Venice became a crucial intermediary between the Ottoman world and the West.
In this ...