Venice’s rapid expansion did not pass unnoticed by its rival cities, especially the Maritime Republic of Genoa . Throughout the 14th Century there were repeated wars between the Republic of Venice and the Republic of Genoa. The latter wanted the dispute Venice’s dominion of the rich trade towards the East and hinder the Venetian aspirations to develop their business beyond the Mediterranean.
Until that time the Republic of Genoa had traded in the Western Mediterranean with the Maghreb and West Africa, while Venice limited its activities to the eastern Mediterranean and trade with Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia, through which a fair portion of the goods from India and China passed.
With the end of the Eastern Roman Empire (1261) and the opening of the trade route to Catai, Genoa also tried to conquer these markets, while Venice aimed to open new trade outlets towards the Atlantic.The first conflicts had already taken place at the end of the 13th Century, with the battles of Laiazzo (1294) and Korcula (1299) , followed the Peace of Milan.

In 1311 the Serenissima expanded its commercial borders and founded the first regular shipping line towards the North Sea. This further increased the tension between the two Republics and their navies continued to be pursue each other throughout the Mediterranean with growing levels of hostility (skirmishes, battles and peace treaties). It was only the hardest battle that produced a final outcome in 1378. Under the pretext of regaining possession of the island of Tenedo in Turkey (Bozcaada), total war broke out between Genoa and Venice. In practice, both Venice and Genoa wanted free access to the ports of Tana and Trebisonda (Trabzon) on the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea, the traditional arrival point for goods coming from Asia.

The Venetian town of Chioggia was conquered by the Genoese before Venice regained it. The War of Chioggia ended in 1380 and the Peace of Turin marked the end of hostilities in 1381 and the beginning of the decline of the Republic of Genoa.

1300 - 1400 - - rev. 0.1.7