Page 178 - Panjek, Aleksander. 2016. Krvavi poljub svobode: upor na galeji Loredani v Kopru in beg galjotov na Kras leta 1605. Založba Univerze na Primorskem, Založništvo tržaškega tiska, Koper - Trst
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krvavi poljub svobode
crew were on land in town, a group of galley-rowers started a revolt by killing
the members of the crew, who might try to stop them, and by releasing the
rest of the oarsmen, ordering them to head towards the nearby Austrian co-
ast between Trieste and Devin. Beside a small number of organizers, the lar-
ger part of the galley-rowers was not necessarily aware of the plan nor agreed
with it. The mutineers robbed part of the galley’s rich freight, found themsel-
ves new clothes, and even divided some money among themselves before lea-
ving the galley on the shore and heading up the steep coast of the Karst. Abo-
ut 200 galley-rowers fled, both convicted and freemen, while a few remained
on board together with a few frightened passengers, including some women.
The money of the Venetian state was left behind mostly untouched due to an
order by the mutiny-head, Lovre from Nin.
The Pursuers of the Galley Loredana from Koper
The Venetian authorities and some volunteers from Koper gave chase to the
fleeing galley Loredana by sea and land, but could not reach the mutineers.
Nevertheless, they found the galley on the Austrian shore and retook pos-
session of it, seizing the ship and taking it back to Koper by night, before the
people of the Austrian town of Trieste, who intended to rob it, could reach it.
Galley-rowers, Peasants in the Karst Region, and the People of Trieste
Once they reached the Karst plateau, the fugitives caused fear among local
peasant population, who thought they might be troops of a Venetian inva-
sion. The mutineers were welcomed by peasants shooting at them with wea-
pons, trying to rob them of the valuables they had brought from the galley,
but also helping them to find a safe way to escape and offering them drin-
ks, food, and even shelter. The fugitives were pursued also by some noblemen
from Trieste, with the goal to rob them, but also to make a profit by exchan-
ging the foreign silver and golden coins at a low rate to the peasants, who rece-
ived the money from the galley-rowers. Within the Austrian territory no seri-
ous attempt was made to help the Venetian authorities, despite their requests.
Only in Trieste the Venetians were allowed to chase a group of fugitive muti-
neers on Austrian territory.
Itineraries and Destinations of the Galley-rowers
The galley-rowers of the Loredana soon divided into three larger groups: one
group headed toward the Austrian town of Gorica near the Venetian border,
another group took the direction of Senj, the centre of the Uskok pirates on
the Adriatic coast. The most numerous group went deeper in the hinterland
first to Ljubljana, the capital town of the Austrian duchy of Carniola, where
178
crew were on land in town, a group of galley-rowers started a revolt by killing
the members of the crew, who might try to stop them, and by releasing the
rest of the oarsmen, ordering them to head towards the nearby Austrian co-
ast between Trieste and Devin. Beside a small number of organizers, the lar-
ger part of the galley-rowers was not necessarily aware of the plan nor agreed
with it. The mutineers robbed part of the galley’s rich freight, found themsel-
ves new clothes, and even divided some money among themselves before lea-
ving the galley on the shore and heading up the steep coast of the Karst. Abo-
ut 200 galley-rowers fled, both convicted and freemen, while a few remained
on board together with a few frightened passengers, including some women.
The money of the Venetian state was left behind mostly untouched due to an
order by the mutiny-head, Lovre from Nin.
The Pursuers of the Galley Loredana from Koper
The Venetian authorities and some volunteers from Koper gave chase to the
fleeing galley Loredana by sea and land, but could not reach the mutineers.
Nevertheless, they found the galley on the Austrian shore and retook pos-
session of it, seizing the ship and taking it back to Koper by night, before the
people of the Austrian town of Trieste, who intended to rob it, could reach it.
Galley-rowers, Peasants in the Karst Region, and the People of Trieste
Once they reached the Karst plateau, the fugitives caused fear among local
peasant population, who thought they might be troops of a Venetian inva-
sion. The mutineers were welcomed by peasants shooting at them with wea-
pons, trying to rob them of the valuables they had brought from the galley,
but also helping them to find a safe way to escape and offering them drin-
ks, food, and even shelter. The fugitives were pursued also by some noblemen
from Trieste, with the goal to rob them, but also to make a profit by exchan-
ging the foreign silver and golden coins at a low rate to the peasants, who rece-
ived the money from the galley-rowers. Within the Austrian territory no seri-
ous attempt was made to help the Venetian authorities, despite their requests.
Only in Trieste the Venetians were allowed to chase a group of fugitive muti-
neers on Austrian territory.
Itineraries and Destinations of the Galley-rowers
The galley-rowers of the Loredana soon divided into three larger groups: one
group headed toward the Austrian town of Gorica near the Venetian border,
another group took the direction of Senj, the centre of the Uskok pirates on
the Adriatic coast. The most numerous group went deeper in the hinterland
first to Ljubljana, the capital town of the Austrian duchy of Carniola, where
178
