Sack of Manfredonia
| Sack of Manfredonia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Spanish–Ottoman wars and Ottoman–Habsburg wars | |||||||
Details from a miniature in the Şehnāme-i Nādirī depicting Halil Pasha's campaign on Manfredonia (Topkapı Palace Museum Library, H. 1124, 40b-41a) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Ottoman Empire | Kingdom of Naples | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Damat Halil Pasha Hüseyin Ağa |
Antonio Perez Fernando de Velasco Francesco Carafa | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
c. 40–60 galleys >6,000 men (up to 12,000 men according to some sources) |
c. 20+ men under Perez c. 100 men under Velasco c. 800–1,000 men under Carafa | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
100–700 killed 7 captured |
Some killed (up to 500 people according to some sources) Some wounded c. 200–500 inhabitants captured and enslaved | ||||||
The Sack of Manfredonia (Italian: sacco di Manfredonia or presa di Manfredonia, "capture of Manfredonia") was an Ottoman attack on the city of Manfredonia in Apulia, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, in August 1620. The incursion, which was led by Damat Halil Pasha, appears to have been launched in retaliation for an attack on Sousse by a Spanish-led force the previous year.
Manfredonia's defences had been neglected prior to the attack, and Ottoman forces numbering at least 6,000 men were able to enter and sack the city on 16 August, the same day that they landed. Governor Antonio Perez attempted to organise a defence but soon fled the city along with many residents, while the Castello di Manfredonia under the command of castellan Fernando de Velasco held out for another day. After an army under Francesco Carafa failed to relieve the city, the castle surrendered and the people who had taken refuge inside were allowed to leave unharmed.
After plundering and burning the city and its castle, the Ottomans abandoned Manfredonia on 18 August. During the sacking, a few hundred residents were captured and enslaved and others were killed. Ottoman casualties appear to have been light. The looting and physical destruction was extensive, with many churches and other buildings being damaged or destroyed and historical records being lost.