1570-71 Cyprus Siege of Famagusta Venetian Occupation Bisante gFine & Rare

The Siege of Famagusta (1570–1571): Blood, Bravery, and Bisanti

Cyprus Falls Under Venetian Watch

Cyprus, once a gem of the Byzantine and then Lusignan crowns, landed in Venetian hands in 1489. When Queen Caterina Cornaro “gifted” the island to Venice, it wasn’t purely out of generosity—Venice had its eyes on the eastern Mediterranean and wasn’t shy about expanding its influence. For nearly a century, the Republic of Venice controlled Cyprus as a key naval and trade outpost, but their rule wasn’t exactly welcomed by everyone. The Ottomans, especially, wanted it for themselves.

Enter Sultan Selim II—With Cannons

In 1570, Sultan Selim II, nicknamed “Selim the Sot” for his fondness of wine, decided Cyprus would be his next conquest. Not out of love for the land, but largely because of its lucrative vineyards. He sent a mighty Ottoman force, estimated at over 60,000 troops, to invade the island. They steamrolled across most of it, capturing Nicosia with brutal efficiency. Only one major stronghold remained—Famagusta.

Bragadin’s Bold Defence

Behind Famagusta’s thick walls stood Marco Antonio Bragadin, the city’s Venetian commander. With just 8,000 men, he prepared to withstand the Ottoman onslaught. And withstand they did—for nearly a year. From September 1570 to August 1571, Bragadin and his forces held off wave after wave of Turkish attacks. They outwitted, outlasted, and occasionally outwrote the Ottomans—literally.

The Siege and Coinage

Under siege and desperate for resources, the Venetians began producing emergency coinage: the bisante ossidionale. These siege coins, minted from copper and stamped on makeshift planchets, were used to pay soldiers and maintain some economic sanity inside the besieged walls. It wasn’t fine Venetian currency, but when cannonballs are flying, perfection isn’t the priority.

A Treacherous End

Eventually, out of food and options, Bragadin agreed to surrender under promises of safe passage. Unfortunately, those promises evaporated faster than the Cypriot summer rain. Bragadin was captured, flayed alive, and paraded as a warning to others. It was a brutal and dishonourable end to a gallant resistance.

Legacy in Blood and Metal

Though Famagusta fell, the defence delayed the Ottoman advance long enough for the Holy League to regroup. Just two months later, they scored a critical victory at the Battle of Lepanto. Bragadin’s stand—and his siege coins—remained powerful symbols of defiance, courage, and the gritty resilience of a city under fire.