Aragonese expedition to Tunisia of 1424

Aragonese expedition to Tunisia of 1424
Date September – October 1424 Location Coast of Tunisia Result Aragonese victory
Belligerents
Crown of Aragon	Hafsid dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Peter of Aragon Frederic, Count of Luna Ramon de Perellós  [ es ]	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Low	2,000–3,500 enslaved in Djerba [1] 3.000 captured in the Kerkennah Islands [2]

The Aragonese Expedition to Tunisia began when Alfonso V of Aragon ordered an attack against the islands of Djerba and Kerkennah Islands, bases of pirates who attacked Sicily. ^[3]

Expedition

Count Frederic de Luna and Ramon de Perellós  [ es ] commanded a fleet that was collected by Peter of Aragon, the king's brother, who was resisting in Naples after the failure of Alfonso the Magnanimous's naval campaign. ^[4] The fleet followed the coast to Genoa, blocking it, and intervening in the ports of Lestri, Bonifacio and Portofino.

The expedition departed Malta on 10 September 1424 and made its way towards the North African coast. ^[5] Djerba was impossible for them to conquer because it was well garrisoned but they managed to capture between 2,000 and 3,500 people. ^[1] On the other hand, in the Kerkennah Islands the victory was complete and a lot of booty was obtained, capturing 3,000 people. ^[2] They still dared to attack the city of Tunis, but it avoided the attack by giving them numerous presents and freeing many Christian prisoners. Ausiàs March participated in this expedition. ^[3]

The attack lasted until October 1424, when the fleet returned to Malta. ^[5]

Aftermath

In 1429, the Hafsids attacked Sicily and the Maltese Islands, likely in retaliation to the 1424 Aragonese attack on the Kerkennah Islands. ^[5]

References

1. Coulon, Damien; Otten-Froux, Catherine; Pagès, Paule; Valérian, Dominique (22 January 2016). Chemins d'outre-mer: Études d'histoire sur la Méditerranée médiévale offertes à Michel Balard. Éditions de la Sorbonne. p. 428. ISBN   978-2-85944-827-1.
2. Housley, Norman (17 June 2016). The Crusade in the Fifteenth Century: Converging and competing cultures. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-317-03688-3.
3. March, Ausiàs (2006). Ausias March. Tamesis Books. p. 25. ISBN   978-1-85566-130-1.
4. Rodón i Oller, Francesch (1898). Fets de la Marina de guerra catalana. Barcelona: La Renaixensa. p. 80.
5. Fiorini, Stanley (2007). "The Fortification and the Defence of Gozo down to 1551" (PDF). Symposia Melitensia (4): 131–146. ISSN   1812-7509. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2024.