Battle of Trapani

The Battle of Trapani took place in 1266 off Trapani, Sicily, between the fleets of the Republic of Genoa and the Republic of Venice, as part of the War of Saint Sabas. The Genoese had an advantage in numbers, but the Genoese commander, Lanfranco Borbonino, ordered his ships to take up a defensive position, bound together with chains, near the shore. As the Venetian fleet attacked, many of the Genoese ships' crews, composed to a large degree of hired foreigners, lost heart and abandoned their ships. The battle was a crushing Venetian victory, as they captured the entire Genoese fleet almost intact. Borbonino and most of his captains were tried and fined large sums for cowardice on their return to Genoa.