1 The hard defence of a shameful peace: Paolo Paruta’s Discorso sopra la pace fatta dai signori veneziani col Turco by Marco Giani (Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia – gianimarco@gmail.com ) On 7 March 1573, after only three years, the Holy League (mainly Spain, Papacy and Venice) split up. The Most Serene Republic came to an agreement with the Ottoman Empire it had defeated just two years before in the glorious Battle of Lepanto (1571). There was a general outcry from all Europe: Venice, the merchant Republic, sold out its dominion (Cyprus) and its dignity to the enemy. Was it the truth? Why Venetians would have act like that, if they were the driving force of the Holy League (formed after Ottoman attack against Venetian Cyprus, 1570)? Paolo Paruta, a young writer, wrote a Discorso in order to justify this decision: a linguistic and rhetorical analysis of this work is going to help us to understand Venice’s reasons. Paruta, an honest spokesman of his city’s mentality in early 1570s, can introduce us to each matter (pro pace or pro bello) of this hard contention the Lion Republic had to face in this turning point of its history. 0. Introduction The Discorso sopra la pace col Turco, written just some years after the Battle of Lepanto by Venetian writer Paolo Paruta, is a political text supporting both Venice and Venetian peace with Turkish sultan (1573). That’s why the focus is on the benefits of peace, while the price of this peace is often unspoken: Paruta, coming official historiographer of Serenissima Republic, was a Venetian writer, his voice was not a neutral one. Nevertheless, he was not a sectarian, but a politician. Being a politician, for him and for the patrician ruling class he came from, meant being aware of the military and political existing situation. That’s why, in his Discorso in favour of 1573 treaty, Paruta could not hide at all the price of peace. 1.1. The War of Cyprus (1570-1573) In March 1570 an Ottoman envoy reached Venice, asking the immediate cession of the island of Cyprus: the Serenissima Republic denied, so the war begun. In May the Holy League was concluded among the Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Spain and the Papal States. At the end of June the Turkish army reach the island: in September Nicosia fell; in August 1571, after 11 months of brave withstanding to the Turkish siege, Famagosta surrended. The Ottoman conquest of Cyprus was finished. Meanwhile, the allied fleet assembled in Messina, under the command of Don John of Austria. On 7 October 1571, at last, the two fleets decided to engage, in front of the Greek city of Lepanto: unexpectedly, the Ottoman fleet was harshly defeated. Yet the victory was basically vain: the Holy League didn’t conquest any territory, neither did anything the year after (1572), when the Spaniards decided to turn their forces to the Low Countries. The Holy League was too much expensive for Venice, so she decided to start secret negotiations with the Turks: on 7 March 1573 the peace among Venice and the Ottoman Empire was concluded. The price of this peace was high: 1) definitive cession of Cyprus; 2) retreat from the Dalmatian territories occupied by Venetian forces; 3) liberation of all Turkish prisoners, with no ransom; 4) war bonus (300.000 Venetian zecchini); 5) Venetian naval forces limited to 60 galleys; 6) tribute for Kefalonia and Zakynthos islands increased. The Venetian separate peace was welcomed in all Europe with a general outcry: Venice, the merchant Republic, sold out its dominion (Cyprus) and its dignity to the enemy. So, after Holy