35.  The battle began early on Sunday and lasted till the afternoon.  The Venetians had the wind in their favour, but the morning sun in their eyes.  They made the attack, and with great impetuosity, capturing ten Genoese galleys; but they pressed on too wildly, and some of their vessels ran aground.  One of their galleys too, being taken, was cleared of her crew and turned against the Venetians.  These incidents caused confusion among the assailants; the Genoese, who had begun to give way, took fresh heart, formed a close column, and advanced boldly through the Venetian line, already in disorder.  The sun had begun to decline when there appeared on the Venetian flank the fifteen or sixteen missing galleys of Doria’s fleet, and fell upon it with fresh force.  This decided the action.  The Genoese gained a complete victory, capturing all but a few of the Venetian galleys, and including the flagship with Dandolo.  The Genoese themselves lost heavily, especially in the early part of the action, and Lamba Doria’s eldest son Octavian is said to have fallen on board his father’s vessel.[19] The number of prisoners taken was over 7000, and among these was Marco Polo.[20]

[Illustration:  Marco Polo’s Galley going into action at Curzola.

“il sembloit que la galie volast, par les nageurs qui la contreingnoient aux avirons, et sembloit que foudre cheist des ciex, au bruit que les pennoncians menoient, et que les nacaues les tabours et les cors sarrazinnois menoient, qui estoient en sa galie”

    (Joinville, vide ante, p. 40)]

[Illustration:  Scene of the Battle of Curzola.]

The prisoners, even of the highest rank, appear to have been chained.  Dandolo, in despair at his defeat, and at the prospect of being carried captive into Genoa, refused food, and ended by dashing his head against a bench.[21] A Genoese account asserts that a noble funeral was given him after the arrival of the fleet at Genoa, which took place on the evening of the 16th October.[22] It was received with great rejoicing, and the City voted the annual presentation of a pallium of gold brocade to the altar of the Virgin in the Church of St. Matthew, on every 8th of September, the Madonna’s day, on the eve of which the Battle had been won.  To the admiral himself a Palace was decreed.  It still stands, opposite the Church of St. Matthew, though it has passed from the possession of the Family.  On the striped marble facades, both of the Church and of the Palace, inscriptions of that age, in excellent preservation, still commemorate Lamba’s achievement.[23] Malik al Mansur, the Mameluke Sultan of Egypt, as an enemy of Venice, sent a complimentary letter to Doria accompanied by costly presents.[24]

[Illustration:  Church of San Matteo, Genoa]