colony · Greece and the Aegean
Venetian Monemvasia
Origins
Monemvasia, a fortified town on a rock island off the Laconian coast, belonged to the Despotate of the Morea. When Mehmed II conquered the Morea in 1460, the despot Thomas Palaiologos handed it to Pope Pius II. Papal rule proved weak, and in 1464 the inhabitants placed themselves under Venice.
Rule and society
Venetian officials governed with the town's Greek notables, maintaining its fortifications and port. Monemvasia, called Malvasia by the Italians, gave its name to malmsey, a sweet wine traded across Europe, although by this time most of it came from Crete. The town was largely cut off from its Ottoman-held hinterland.
Decline and legacy
In the peace of 1540 that ended the third Ottoman-Venetian war, Venice ceded Monemvasia and Nauplia to the Ottomans. It returned to Venetian control from 1690 to 1715 as part of the Venetian Morea.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Venetian Monemvasia was a colony of Republic of Venice1464 CE – 1540 CE
- Venetian Monemvasia was conquered by Ottoman Empire1540 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Venetian Monemvasia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-monemvasia
- MLA
- “Venetian Monemvasia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-monemvasia. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Venetian Monemvasia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-monemvasia.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Venetian Monemvasia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/venetian-monemvasia (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻