Siege of Berat
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The Siege of Berat. 1455. When the Scanderbeg rebellion erupted the city of
Berat belonged to an Albanian Prince of the Muzaka family; Theodore Muzaka. In early 1450s a small stealthy force Ottoman soldiers came from their garrison in Vlora, scaled the walls, slaughtered the Albanian garrison of about five hundred soldiers led by Pal Kuka and claimed the castle. It was said that whoever possessed Berat, could control southern Albania as well as the vital supply routes leading to southern Macedonia and Greece. Indeed the castle is situated on top of a high, steep hill overlooking the valley below for miles away.
Scanderbeg decided to retake the castle and so he besieged it. At the head of the army he left Tanush Muzaka, his brother-in-law, since Berat was a possession of Muzaka’s family. After a successful bombardment, the Ottoman commander of the garrison agreed to turn over the keys to the castle if the Sultan did not sent help within a certain amount of time, which was negotiated between the Albanians and the Ottomans. The Sultan, however, did sent help and a 38,000 men army led by Evrenoz Pasha came and fell upon the Albanian army in mid-July. The Albanians were slaughtered by the thousands. One commander, Vranakonti, managed to resist the onslaught an pushed back several waves but in the end the Ottomans conquered the field by sheer numbers. More than five thousand Albanians died including several hundred Neapolitans part of a five hundred strong contingent that Scanderbeg had brought from Kingdom of Neaples as experts in demolition, artillery and in the art of besieging.
Scanderbeg himself was not at the site, having moved southwest to inspect the routes to Vlora and hinder a potential surprise attack from the garrison there. Upon learning the news, he rushed back, but all he could do was to divert somehow the Ottoman fury and give time to his army to escape. Italian chronicles of the time describe Scanderbeg as performing feats of bravery “with sword and mace” and that many owed their life to his opportune intervention. Berat, however, remained Ottoman and was never to be taken by the Albanian army.
