Athleta Christi: George Kastrioti Skanderbeg

Elton Varfi

Siege of Sfetigrad

Meanwhile, in Adrianople, the Sultan pondered the situation in Albania. He realized that it was no longer a mere handful of rebels but a well-organized armed force driven by an ideal. It needed to be destroyed immediately. He began to gather such enormous forces that a great alarm spread among the Christian forces neighboring him. The Hungarians, the Byzantine Emperor, and various Greek despots were dismayed and wondered what Murad II's target was, gathering so many soldiers. For them, it was inconceivable that the Albanian threat could engage the Sultan to such an extent.

Woodcut from the work: M. Barletius – Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis – Rome 1506.

Skanderbeg, however, realized that all those preparations were aimed precisely at his land and person. Seeing the huge number of men mobilized by Murad II, he decided not to confront him but prepared the defense with the same zeal he had shown during offensive actions. He issued a fervent appeal to the Albanian Princes to assist him in such a critical hour. He sent messengers to the Pope, Hungary, Venice, Constantinople, and Naples so that these powers would know how much damage a hypothetical victory of the Sultan would also cause them. He received no help except in provisions and money, so he set about withstanding the impact alone.

In March 1449, George Kastrioti received definitive news that Murad II had left Adrianople with an army estimated at 120,000 men. In April, he personally saw the Muslim vanguards positioned along the Albanian border, ready to cross it at their Lord's command. Skanderbeg's defense plan was simple and clear.

Due to the enemy's overwhelming numerical superiority, it was not feasible to attack; it was better to wait for the inevitable difficulties the Sultan would encounter moving such a large army in a mountainous country with scarce communication routes and full of traps. Therefore, for the moment, he decided only to confront the enemy with small contingents of men. He attacked isolated columns, devastated and threatened communication routes, and continuously alarmed the Turkish camp. He deprived the soldiers of necessary rest, making them tired even before the supreme battle. The Ottoman advance, already difficult given the harsh terrain, was further slowed by this tactic. Only around mid-May did the soldiers' ranks reach to besiege Sfetigrad.

To effectively collaborate in the defense of Sfetigrad, Skanderbeg positioned himself in the mountainous and wooded areas on the left side of the Drin. From there, it was easy for George Kastrioti to reach Croia (the center of his operations), Elbasan, Petrella, and in case of defeat, take the sea route to Durazzo. The fortress of Sfetigrad was defended by Peter Perlati, commander of 2,000 men among Dibrans and Sfetigradians, all loyalists. The Sultan, threatening with mortars, demanded its surrender, and upon receiving a blunt refusal, began bombarding it with artillery. Unintentionally, the Sultan played into Skanderbeg's hands. The siege of Sfetigrad, in fact, saved Albania since the fortress could withstand a long time.

Murad II entrusted 18,000 men to Firuz Pasha to prevent Skanderbeg from assisting the besieged in Sfetigrad. Skanderbeg attacked this new contingent of troops and personally accepted the challenge launched by Firuz Pasha, killing him in a fierce duel. The army, terrified by the death of their commander, fled, leaving 4,000 dead on the battlefield.

Just as George Kastrioti returned to Croia, confident that Sfetigrad would hold out longer, the fortress fell not due to the enemy's force but to treachery. An Albanian renegade threw a dog's carcass into the fortress's only well, causing the defenders of Sfetigrad to succumb more to thirst than to the besieging army's strength.

On July 31, George Kastrioti's men surrendered the fortress, which seemed impregnable, and the Sultan claimed his first victory. The defenders were honored and joined their leader, who camped nearby. With him, they retreated to Croia, against which the Sultan's army would undoubtedly aim next.

Frenziedly, Skanderbeg worked to strengthen the capital's walls, stockpile provisions, and reassure the populace, but to everyone's surprise, Murad II deemed it wiser to return to Adrianople. Once the Turks departed, the Albanians, although knowing the fortress was impregnable, thought it wise to retake the lost Sfetigrad by surprise, but the assault launched with 8,000 men proved futile.

Siege of Croia

The defeat of Sfetigrad deep in Albanian territory could only worry Skanderbeg. But even European rulers did not sleep soundly. None of them, however, wanted to openly confront the Sultan. Neither Venice, fighting with Alfonso of Aragon, King of Naples, eager to maintain a status with Murad II that ensured the Adriatic's safety, nor the various Italian powers except Naples, nor France and Germany, far from the Ottoman threat, nor Hungary, occupied defending its borders and fearful of aligning its uncertain fate with that of the Albanians, nor finally Pope Nicholas V, who, more than anyone else, cared about defending Christianity against the Islamic threat. Skanderbeg had sent Zaccaria Groppa as his ambassador to Rome, but he returned to Croia with only promises, praises, and apostolic blessings.

The season's inclement weather, the heavy losses inflicted by the Ottomans on the besieging army, and the fear of worse forced Skanderbeg to lift the siege from Sfetigrad, causing 2,000 casualties among his men. But the worst was yet to come.

At the beginning of 1450, Theodore Corona Musacchio, near death, donated his land of Berat to George Kastrioti, but before he could occupy it, the Pasha of Argirocastro seized Berat by night, capturing the arriving Albanians and hanging Theodore Corona Musacchio in the city square. Thus, discouragement gripped the Albanians.

As if that were not enough, George Arianita, under the pretext that Skanderbeg postponed the already scheduled wedding with his daughter, switched allegiance to Venice, obtaining the rank of captain. The Serene Republic, keen on maintaining neutrality, induced other Albanian leaders to no longer follow Skanderbeg if they wished to avoid new and greater calamities for their homeland.

The Wife of George Kastrioti, Andronica Arianiti (1428 - 1506)

Distrust began to spread among the Albanians. Sinister rumors, deliberately spread, circulated through the countryside and cities. Distrust increased terror. Calm and serene, Skanderbeg kept his faith in his valor and destiny intact. He encouraged the doubters, spurred on the strong, and firmly awaited the enormous army that the Sultan and his son Mehmed led through the Drin Valley, the Black Drin, and the Kisma River, and the Celius chain, to the walls of Croia, where they encamped without encountering difficulty or armed resistance along the arduous journey.

The fortress's defense was entrusted to Uranakonti. George Kastrioti, adopting his strategy favorable until that day, camped with a corps of 10,000 men on the nearby mountains, periodically attacking the Turkish troops around the fortress, keeping them on alert and forcing the Sultan to remove some soldiers from the siege to secure his rear.

Skanderbeg believed that the heart of all Christian Europe beat around the walls of Croia. But he was mistaken!

Venice, bound by commercial interests with the Sultan, did not want to disrupt a difficult understanding by supporting George Kastrioti in strengthening his power in Albania, which it had opposed even with arms. The King of Hungary hoped the siege of Croia would last as long as possible to reinforce his army, worn out by years of fighting against the Sultan. The Pope continued to dispense blessings and nothing more because he could do little else. The power of the Greek Princes was inadequate. The Byzantine Emperor hoped, along with the King of Hungary, that the Albanian venture would distract Murad II from Constantinople, as he could not defend it effectively. Alfonso of Aragon feared that aiding the Albanian leader would contribute, albeit indirectly, to a stronger alliance from which Naples had nothing to gain.

The defense of Croia was thus entrusted to the valor of the Albanians and the prudence of their leader. For five long months, the Sultan tested the worth of both. For five months, Murad II bombarded the city's walls, clashing with George Kastrioti. He attempted bloody assaults and tried to bribe Uranakonti, but all in vain. Meanwhile, from Adrianople, he received news that Hunyadi was preparing an army for a new offensive, fearing being caught from behind while engaged in a prolonged struggle.

The Venetians' behavior during this siege was dishonorable and disloyal. Venetian merchants had the opportunity to do good business by supplying the Turkish army, which was tolerable as long as the Turks went to procure supplies in Venetian cities along the coast. But since all these supplies fell into Skanderbeg's hands, the Turks wanted the Venetian suppliers to bring provisions directly to their camp, passing through Skanderbeg's army; otherwise, they would wage war against Venice too. The Albanians warned the suppliers, among whom were some from Scutari, that they were putting themselves at great risk with such deals; but these merchants did not listen, considering that Skanderbeg would not bother them for fear of offending the Republic and avoiding being caught between two fires as had happened two years before. Indeed, Skanderbeg had ordered that these suppliers be respected, but the incensed Albanians confiscated all their goods, killing two from Scutari, Thomas Begani and Nicholas Gradilasca. This event could have sparked a second war with Venice, but it was avoided thanks to the timely intervention of the Venetian governor of Durazzo, a close friend of Skanderbeg, who no longer allowed suppliers to provision the Turkish camp.

As autumn approached, making the siege even more complicated due to the rains, the Sultan proposed peace to George Kastrioti. Skanderbeg, realizing that Murad II could not hold out much longer, refused. The Sultan lifted the siege at the end of September, leaving around 20,000 dead around the inviolate walls of Croia. And George Kastrioti inflicted further losses, pursuing him beyond the borders.

Murad II entered Adrianople humiliated and broken, where he died of a stroke in February 1451.

In November 1450, Skanderbeg made his solemn entry into Croia. The Albanians hailed him as the father of the homeland, and the Pope proclaimed him once again the savior of the Christian faith. Gifts, congratulations, money, and men came to him from all over Europe. The Pope, the King of Hungary, and the Duke of Burgundy expressed their warm congratulations. Until then cautious in its official expressions, Venice congratulated him on the Turkish defeat. Alfonso of Aragon, more than anyone else with a fine political gesture, lavished gifts and sent some of his extraordinary architects to rebuild the walls of Croia.

Foreseeing a long period of peace, George Kastrioti married the daughter of the glorious Arianita. The wedding was then celebrated on April 26, 1451. Skanderbeg was 39 years old, and the bride, Maria Andronica, was 23.

Murad II's retreat from Croia marked a significant date in George Kastrioti's life and the orientation of his policies.

Bibliography

"Historia e Skënderbeut," Marin Barleti. Tirana 1968.

"L’Albania ed il Principe Scanderbeg," F. Cuniberti, Roux Frassati e C° Editori, Torino 1898.

"Storia di Scanderbeg," Fan S. Noli, (translated by Francesco Argondizza), Rome 1924.

"Scanderbeg," Alessandro Cutolo, Milan 1940.