Sack of Sori
Date1 July 1584
Location
Result Algerian victory
Belligerents
Regency of Algiers Regency of Algiers Republic of Genoa Republic of Genoa
Commanders and leaders
Unknown Republic of Genoa Gian Andrea Doria
Strength
22 Galleys
1,500 men
Unknown
Casualties and losses
4 killed 100 enslaved
1 Galley captured

The Sack of Sori was a conflict between the Republic of Genoa and the Regency of Algiers that occurred on July 1, 1584.

Battle

On precisely July 1, 1584, twenty-two Algerian galleys containing 1,500 men orchestrated an assault on the town of Sori, situated along the Ligurian coast a mere eight miles from Genoa. They then pillaged the town, abducting 100 men and women as slaves, with a minimal loss of only 4 men during the confrontation. Compounding the devastation, the Algerians seized a Genoese ship while departing the waters near Sori.[1][2][3]

Aftermath

Promptly upon receiving this distressing information, both the galleys of the republic and those under the command of Gian Andrea Doria set sail from the port in pursuit of the corsairs. However, the pursuit was abandoned swiftly, given the unfavorable numerical odds and the considerable cargo, notably "four million in gold on board Doria's galleys" yet to be unloaded. Roccatagliata further notes that as Doria departed with his galleys at the conclusion of the summer, the Genoese populace harbored profound apprehension of potential corsair incursions. This fear was so pervasive that in the suburban environs surrounding the city, individuals would frequently engage in hasty retreats without apparent cause.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Kirk, Thomas Allison (2013-01-03). Genoa and the Sea: Policy and Power in the Early Modern Maritime Republic, 1559–1684. JHU Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0966-5.
  2. ^ Genova rivista municipale, p. 26
  3. ^ Arturo Ferretto, Il codice diplomatico del Santuario di N.S. delle Grazie in Sori (1898) p. 25