1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 181 Free City of La Spezia
Ligurian coast, La Spezia port.

On a section of the city wall in the southern part of the city, soldiers were patrolling the wall with torches in their hands.

The city of La Spezia is divided into two parts. The northern part is the core area, which is governed by the city council, and the southern part is the naval port of Genoa. The local garrison is dispatched by the Genoa Parliament. The two sides are not subordinate to each other.

"Everyone, cheer up! The Greeks have completely torn their faces apart and are attacking our naval port!"

At a side door, the captain of the Genoa city defense team yelled at his subordinates.

Just now, the Eastern Roman Empire's Mediterranean Fleet appeared on the sea to the south, bombarding the Genoese naval port and blocking the sleeping Genoese fleet in the port.

"Our military strength is very limited. If the defenders on the dock can't hold on, we must take over!"

The captain of the city defense team whipped a yawning soldier and glared at him fiercely.

There was a rustling sound, and a group of La Spezia soldiers holding torches came closer and closer.

"Who is coming!"

The patrolling soldiers shouted loudly and drew their swords.

"I'm Ricardo Snopia, I come from the North City, and I'm here to assist you in your defense under the orders of the Council!"

Ricardo, the captain of the La Spezia City Guard, walked out of the crowd and raised his fat hands to show that he had no hostility.

"Ricardo! Is that you?"

Captain Genoa breathed a sigh of relief and signaled the soldiers to put down their swords.

"it's me!"

"Your fleet captain has reached an agreement with the parliament to jointly deal with the Greek invasion!"

"According to the agreement, you will go to the naval port to join the war, and this city gate will be taken over by the La Spezia City Guards!"

Ricardo smiled widely, and the fat on his face squeezed his eyes into slits.

"Where are the files?"

"It's an emergency, so no!"

Ricardo admitted it openly.

"Then why should we trust you?"

The Genoese captain was cautious.

"Believe me, the gentlemen in the parliament hate the Greeks more than you do."

"Besides, if we hadn't received an order, do you think we would be willing to leave our warm beds and come over to help you defend the city wall?"

Ricardo snorted, and the soldiers behind him nodded frequently.

"Just wait here. If the Greeks attack, we will let you join the battle!"

The Genoese captain still had his doubts and did not directly hand over control of the city gate.

"Hey! After all, we drank together before, don't be so unkind!"

Ricardo protested in dissatisfaction.

"Don't try to play tricks on me! Ricardo, you, the Snopia family, have always been known for your treachery and cunningness!"

"Who knows if you have any conspiracy!"

Ricardo sighed inwardly, it seemed that this matter could no longer be resolved peacefully.

"Well, here's a document, you'll know when you read it."

Ricardo grunted as he approached, pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment from his bosom.

Captain Genoa stepped forward, took the paper, and began to read it in the dim light of the fire.

"Dear Mr. Ricardo, hello, I am your loyal friend, Dimarco."

The name seemed familiar, and Captain Genoa frowned and thought about it.

"We have arrived outside the southern city of La Spezia, only one gate away from the military port. Please fulfill your promise as soon as possible. Believe me, His Majesty the Emperor will give you generous rewards to completely change your marginal status and embarrassing situation in the family—"

"How dare you! You want to betray Genoa!"

The Genoa captain woke up as if from a dream and looked at Ricardo angrily.

Swah——

A dagger pierced his chest, and the poison in the dagger quickly took effect. Captain Genoa's face turned blue and he couldn't say the rest of the words.

"I'm sorry, but I'm already a Roman."

Ricardo still had a smiling face and slowly pulled out the dagger.

The sudden change shocked everyone. Both the Genoese guards and the La Spezia soldiers stared with their eyes wide open, speechless in surprise.

"They killed the captain! Avenge the captain!"

A Genoese guard reacted and shot down a confused La Spezia soldier with an arrow.

"I have been ordered to take over this city gate. Those who surrender will be spared death!"

Ricardo yelled.

The soldiers of both sides started the battle in a confused manner. In the game between the big men, they were always just victims.

"Open the city gate! Our reinforcements are outside the city!"

Ricardo's fat body was unusually flexible. He easily dodged the blade of a Genoese guard and smashed his head with a hammer.

"Open the city gate quickly!"

As casualties continued to increase, soldiers on both sides became furious and engaged in a bloody fight around the city gate.

There were also crashing sounds outside the city gate; Dimarco's reinforcements had arrived.

The Genoese guards were not numerous to begin with, and their elite troops had been transferred to the port. Gradually, they were pushed into a corner of the city wall by the La Spezia soldiers, fighting a desperate battle.

"The door is about to break!"

Under the desperate eyes of the Genoese guards, the wooden door that had been subjected to too much external force shattered with a loud bang. Dimarco Gattilusio jumped on his horse and whipped it, taking the lead in entering the chaotic city wall.

"Your Majesty's 30,000 troops are outside the city, and the Council of La Spezia has surrendered!"

DiMarco waved the sword in his hand.

"Lay down your weapons, the Genoese Council is a running dog of the French and is not worthy of your loyalty!"

"Shut up! Get them out of here!"

shouted a tough Genoese guard.

blow--

A short arrow was stuck in his throat, and his words turned into blood foam, constantly pouring out of his throat.

At the gate, the bandit leader Rossi put down his bow and smiled triumphantly.

A steady stream of troops poured out from the hole in the gate, and the despair in the eyes of the Genoese soldiers became more and more intense.

clang!
A Genoese soldier finally broke down, threw his weapon to the ground, and knelt down in surrender.

This move quickly caused a chain reaction, and more and more Genoese soldiers threw away their swords and walked aside without saying a word.

"The door to wealth and glory is open to us, soldiers, charge!"

Dimarco raised his sword and looked around.

"Captain Emro, you must lead your troops to the naval port immediately and cut off the retreat of the Genoa fleet!"

"Baron Rossi, you and Captain Ricardo go to the North City and control the local nobles!"

The army was divided into two parts, marching north and east respectively, passing through alleys and heading straight for the target.

……

Robbers and bandits quickly rushed into the wealthy northern part of La Spezia, sweeping through the streets like a swarm of headless flies, waking up the sleeping city.

These people had no mercy and broke into luxurious houses in a brutal manner, loaded money, valuables and expensive decorations into their carriages, dragged beautiful women onto the streets, committed adultery with them, and beat them if they refused.

"Don't be in a hurry. Arrest people according to this list first! Those underlined will be executed immediately. Those circled are not allowed to move. Gather all of you in the square!"

The bandit leader Rossi stood on a pile of goods, commanding his subordinates in a domineering manner, with arrogance on his face.

Ricardo stood by with his army and watched coldly. He neither joined in the robbery nor said anything to stop it.

"I'm sorry, Captain Ricardo. My guys have been in the mountains for too long. When they first entered the city, they couldn't control themselves. Haha..."

Rossi saw that the soldier behind Ricardo looked unhappy, so he walked over and patted him on the shoulder with a big laugh.

"Your Excellency is wrong. This is just an ordinary matter. I just hope that you can complete Master Dimarco's task as soon as possible and catch all the disobedient nobles in the city."

"Of course, of course..."

When Rossi heard Dimarco's name, his face froze and he spoke perfunctorily.

He took Ricardo's hand and walked aside.

"Sir Ricardo, as far as I know, although you are a member of the Snopia family, you were sent to the port of La Spezia very early, and your official position is not high. I guess you are not living well."

"So what?"

"In my opinion, His Majesty the Emperor will not risk angering the Italian states by directly occupying the port of La Spezia. He will definitely support a spokesperson."

"Oh? What do you want to say?"

Rossi picked up a bottle of fine wine from the pile of goods, bit open the cork, took a sip, and laughed.

"We spent so much effort to break into the city. If Dimarco takes all the credit in the end, can you accept that?"

"In my opinion, Dimarco wants to monopolize this city and use us as tools!"

Ricardo sneered in his heart, but still pretended to be enlightened. It seemed that Dimarco's evaluation of him was very correct.

"what do you mean……"

"You and I will unite, bypass Dimarco, and directly form a mercenary group, occupy the city council, and force the major families to accept our protection!"

"When he comes to his senses, we will have sufficient capital to negotiate with him."

"After this is done, I will be the leader of the mercenary group, and you will be my adjutant!"

Rossi patted Ricardo's shoulder affectionately, his narrow eyes narrowed into slits.

"Let's first capture a few of the big families. This is all for the future."

Ricardo said with a smile.

"Yes, of course."

The robbery continued, and Rossi felt that it was not efficient enough, so he divided his bandits into several groups to arrest the major wealthy families.

Nearly an hour later, the shouting and screaming at the south dock gradually died down. Rossi was a little anxious. He walked back and forth on the pile of goods, counting the number of wealthy people he had captured.

"Conrad, Lorenz, Furja, well, that's about it..."

The sound of horse hooves could be heard on the road in the distance. Dimarco and Emro led dozens of light cavalry to the square and saw the tragedy that was happening.

"Oh my God, who did this?"

DiMarco pretended to be heartbroken and shouted loudly.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Rossi quickly pulled Ricardo and walked in front of Dimarco.

"Master, did the Genoese fleet surrender?"

"It is only natural that the Genoese fleet should submit to the king's army and turn from darkness to light."

Dimarco didn't look at Rossi, but continued to look around sadly at the main city area which had turned into a hell on earth.

"Master, I have already cleared out most of the powerful families as you requested. I wonder what you promised us—"

Rossi was a little alert. He held the knife at his waist with his right hand and moved closer to Ricardo.

"Sir, as expected, this guy wants to strike back. We must unite and make sure he doesn't dare to act rashly!"

Rossi whispered.

"Rosie, what did I promise you?"

Dimarco crossed his arms and looked with interest at the bandit leader whose face gradually darkened.

"Boy, don't push me."

"Sir Ricardo and I have a total of 1,500 men. Although we are not as strong as you, we are still a considerable force."

"You promised me that you would appoint me as the leader of the mercenaries and the tribune of La Spezia."

"If you push me too far, I will immediately order my subordinates to set fire to the city and fight you to the death!"

"When that happens, it will be hard for you to explain yourself in front of the emperor, right?"

DiMarco sighed.

"Rossi, don't you know the moral level and loyalty of the soldiers you lead?"

"There are only a thousand people in total, divided into various factions. They are all bandits and refugee farmers. They have no choice but to follow you."

"In this case, how do you know they will obey your orders?"

"Do you think that I didn't do anything during these ten days of getting along?"

Dimarco waved his whip and pointed at Rossi.

"The bandit Rossi has committed all kinds of crimes, including murder, arson and robbery. If he lays down his weapons and surrenders as soon as possible, he can still save his life."

"Resistance is a dead end!"

Rossi laughed in anger.

"Dimarco, if you came with a large army, I would still be a little afraid."

"You only have a few dozen light cavalry, how can you kill me?"

"Who dares to kill me?"

"I dare to kill you!"

Ricardo roared, pulled out a crossbow from his sleeve, and shot an arrow through Rossi's throat.

"Suppress the rebels and kill them!"

On July 1460, 7, Riccardo, the captain of the La Spezia city defense team who learned the news in advance, clashed with the Genoese army on the pretext of changing guards. He took advantage of the chaos to open a side door and let the army enter the city.

That night, more than 3,000 soldiers broke into the port of La Spezia. The main force turned to the south and captured the Genoa military port in a lightning speed, making the fleet floating on the sea completely isolated.

With their retreat cut off and the Eastern Roman Mediterranean Fleet on high alert ahead, the Genoese commander, knowing that the game was over, announced he would stop resisting and surrender to the Eastern Roman Empire.

At the same time, Dimarco allowed bandits to enter the northern city area, wiped out several hostile families, and used them to clear out the local forces in the port of La Spezia.

Afterwards, Dimarco led his troops to the northern city area, and with the cooperation of Ricardo, who had been prepared as a spy, he killed the bandit leader Rossi on the spot. The army then entered the city and quelled the chaos.

After a night of clearing and negotiation, the remaining bandits and fleeing peasants were basically pacified and surrendered to Dimarco.

The next morning, Isaac, who had incorporated the Genoese fleet, walked into the city council of the port of La Spezia in the dim light of dawn.

In the magnificent hall, Isaac met Dimarco and his companions who had been waiting there.

"Long live my emperor!"

Dimarco knelt on one knee. Beside him, the legion commander Emro and the new city defense commander Ricardo stood on his left and right, and behind them were the trembling congressmen.

Isaac looked around at everyone and helped Dimarco up.

"Another hero has emerged from the Gattiluccio family!"

Isaac exclaimed.

"I don't deserve it!"

Everyone stood up, and Dimarco introduced the councillors to Isaac and led him to the mayor's throne of La Spezia.

Isaac patted the ornate seat but did not sit down.

"I had no intention of interfering in Italy's affairs, but the French and Milanese pushed too hard and oppressed the Italian people, and Frederick III turned a deaf ear to it, so I had no choice but to do so."

"Your Majesty is highly respected and respected, and your prestige and glory are known to all. Of course, you are not comparable to Frederick III."

Ricardo quickly flattered.

"I came here not for anything else but to discuss a plan that can bring long-term peace and stability to La Spezia and give the people a peaceful and happy life."

Isaac looked around at the crowd.

The congressmen were so embarrassed that they applauded loudly with an expression of reverence.

"You all know the current situation. The French have occupied Genoa, and the Milanese have just captured Piacenza and are heading straight for Parma."

"Venice has just been defeated by me. I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to take any effective actions in the short term."

"Naples is in chaos and confusion. The Angevins and the Trastammare factions each occupy half of the country, and there is constant friction."

Isaac sighed.

"For the sake of the people, I cannot just sit there and watch."

"Your Majesty is right. The Port of La Spezia asks for your asylum!"

DiMarco spoke at the right time.

"That's right. Since Frederick III cannot provide us with effective protection, why should we still worship him as emperor?"

"Only you can help us resist the invasion of the French!"

Ricardo took over.

The councillors were stunned by what they heard, but they also knew very well that the fate of La Spezia was no longer in their control.

A few words from the emperor and his ministers directly decided the fate of tens of thousands of people.

On August 1460, 8, the Council of La Spezia was convened, and the council decided to formally break away from the control of the Republic of Genoa and pledge allegiance to the Eastern Roman Empire.

At the same time, due to the capitulation of the Genoese government, the Gattiluccio and Giustitiani families refused to recognize the authority of the council, and the Black Sea Governorate, Lesbos and Chios were separated from Genoa's jurisdiction and joined the Eastern Roman Empire.

Isaac announced his support for the La Spezia Council's move to formally establish the Free City of La Spezia, granting them 100% military, political and religious autonomy, and symbolically levying an annual tax of 1%, with the sovereignty of the free city only in name.

As for Genoa's overseas colonies, Isaac reached a compromise with local families early on and set up the Governorate of Azov and the Governorate of the Eastern Aegean. The Gattiluccio family and the Giustitiani family converted to Orthodoxy and served as hereditary governors.

On that day, the Free City of La Spezia held its first meeting. Dimarco from the Gattiglusio family was elected mayor, and Riccardo from the Snopia family was appointed chief of city defense.

In addition, Isaac incorporated the remnants of the Genoese fleet, incorporated a caravel, four large galleys in good condition and some small warships into the Mediterranean Fleet, and presented the remaining ships as gifts to the Free City of La Spezia.

The next day, the Duke of Bourbon in Genoa learned the news of the establishment of the Free City of La Spezia and the loss of the Genoese fleet. He was so angry that he started cursing and began to gather a large army in Genoa.

A week later, Domenini Doria, who had worked hard for the independence of Genoa, made a speech in the port of Ajaccio on Corsica, announcing that he would not recognize the Genoese Parliament, which had become a puppet of France, nor the Free City of La Spezia, which was loyal to the Eastern Empire. He would form a Genoese government in exile to fight the invaders to the end.

At this point, the situation in northern Italy became more confusing. The Kingdom of France, the Duchy of Milan and the Eastern Roman Empire each recruited a group of people and assembled troops and fleets, but no one dared to act rashly. Venice, which was supposed to intervene in the political struggle strongly, was defeated by Isaac and was forced to stay at home and lick its wounds.

On August 1460, 8, the First and Third Guards Corps, which had been ordered to come for reinforcement, all arrived at the port of La Spezia. Their flags were fluttering and their armor was shining, which frightened the scoundrels in the city to the point that they dared not show their heads.

The next day, Captain Daniel of the 3rd Guards Corps was ordered with 1,000 regular troops and 1,800 Berber vassal troops to reinforce the city of Parma which was besieged by the Duke of Milan. John IV was overjoyed when the reinforcements arrived, and the morale of the defenders was greatly boosted.

That night, Sforza, knowing that the situation was hopeless, withdrew his troops and returned to Pavia for a short rest.

The three forces gathered in northern Italy, and the surrounding small countries watched in fear, praying that the disaster of war would not affect themselves. The situation was eerily quiet.

War? Peace? Where will the situation in northern Italy go?
No one can predict.

(End of this chapter)