Battle of Saseno

The Battle of Saseno took place in August 1264 off Saseno island on the coast of Albania, between the fleet the Republic of Genoa and a trade convoy (muda) of the Republic of Venice, as part of the War of Saint Sabas. The Genoese had experienced only defeats in direct confrontations with the Venetian navy, and had therefore resorted to raiding the Venetian commerce convoys. The Genoese commander, Simone Grillo, managed to trick his Venetian counterpart Andrea Barocio, as to his intentions. When Barocio moved to intercept Grillo with a larger fleet, the latter was free to attack the Venetian muda headed for the Levant, off Saseno. The Genoese captured or sunk most of the ships, except for the giant nave Roccafortis, and took their cargo. The cost of the convoy's loss to Venice was estimated at 100,000 lire.