15 Facts About Vettore Cappello

Vettore Cappello was born to Giorgio Cappello and Coronea Lando.

Vettore Cappello's family was engaged in commerce, and Vettore appears to have been active in his family's commercial interests: along with his brothers, he maintained agents at Bruges and London for a decade from 1431 on, and he was patrono in the muda to Flanders in the years 1428,1438, and 1441.

Vettore Cappello was then ordered to join with Loredan in conducting an attack on Messina.

Vettore Cappello initially belonged to the more moderate faction, which advocated a policy of "armed neutrality", strengthening the fleet and Venetian fortifications overseas, but without entering into commitments with other Christian powers in the Balkans against the Ottomans.

Vettore Cappello now switched to the war faction, and became its most prominent member.

Pope Pius II called for a crusade, a proposal Vettore Cappello supported; it was approved both in the Senate and in the Great Council.

Vettore Cappello favoured a decisive campaign in the Morea, and in the early months of the war, he seemed to get his wish; the Venetian forces retook Argos and refortified the Isthmus of Corinth, restoring the Hexamilion wall and equipping it with many cannons.

The Venetian government, which had entered the war only with great reluctance, did not show great commitment in pursuing the war, and Vettore Cappello was unable to effect any change in its stance.

Vettore Cappello's appointment brought elation and renewed hope for a decisive turn in the war; the provveditore of the Venetian army in the Morea, Giacomo Barbarigo, expressed "utmost joy" at the news, and the distinguished statesman Andrea Diedo expressed the expectation that Vettore Cappello would lead the recovery of the Hexamilion and the conquest of Corinth.

Vettore Cappello took over command of the fleet at Sapienza, and sailed to Modon, Lepanto, and Negroponte to strengthen their fortifications.

Vettore Cappello then took his fleet of 25 galleys to the northern Aegean, capturing the islands of Imbros, Thasos and Samothrace.

Vettore Cappello nevertheless came too late: a few days before his arrival, Turahanoglu Omer Bey with 12,000 horsemen attacked the Venetian forces at Patras and routed them, killing Barbarigo.

When Vettore Cappello arrived, he tried to avenge the defeat, but was in turn repulsed with heavy losses.

Vettore Cappello gathered the remnants of his army and returned to Negroponte.

Vettore Cappello's body was returned to Venice, where his sons, Alvise, Andrea, and Paolo, buried him in the church of Sant'Elena, and dedicated a funeral monument in the facade of the church that shows him kneeling before the patron saint, Saint Helena.