Sack of Manfredonia
1620 CE.
Shown on the map at 41.631°, 15.922°.
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.
Text from the Wikipedia article Sack of Manfredonia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.