La statua di Antonio Corradini posizionata davanti all'entrata della Fortezza Vecchia di Corfù, raffigurante il condottiero Schulenburg. — (Archivio Venipedia/Bazzmann)

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Antonio Corradini's statue positioned in front of the entrance to the Old Fortress of Corfu, depicting the leader Schulenburg. (Marco Trevisan, Bazzmann+Venipedia)

In 1716, Corfu, the last Venetian fortress in the Adriatic, was besieged by the Ottoman Empire. Count Schulenburg, with only 1,600 soldiers, heroically defended the island against 30,000 Turks. Thanks to a daring military strategy, including a surprise night attack, the Venetians resisted the invasion. The arrival of a devastating storm for the Turkish fleet and Spanish reinforcements contributed to the victory. This triumph was celebrated with honours for Schulenburg, a composition by Vivaldi and generated a local legend about the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary during the battle.

Corfu, a lush Greek island, was the Venetian defence stronghold of the Adriatic from the 14th century onwards for the duration of the Serenissima Republic; nicknamed the 'Sentinel of the Gulf', Corfu was the last aquatic bastion before reaching Western Europe. During its hegemony, there were several Turkish incursions against the Venetians, most notably the siege of 1537 and the battle of 1716.The Turkish attack of 1716 on Corfu was fought with courage and fury by the Venetians, preventing the entry of the Ottoman army and preventing the conquest first of Venice and then of the entir

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