Siege of Shkodër

Timeline

1. 1478Outworks of Shkodër fortress · AlbaniaAfter suppressing Krujë and other strongholds, Mehmed II personally led a large force including artillery and navy to the shores of Lake Shkodër, cutting Venice's sea reinforcement routes and building siege works around the fortress.
2. 1478–1479Rozafa Castle · AlbaniaOttoman heavy guns continuously bombarded the walls and dug tunnels to blow up the fortress foundations; Venetian defenders under commanders such as Antonio Loredan repeatedly repaired the defenses and countered the mining. Casualties were heavy on both sides, and the siege entered a stalemate of attrition.
3. 1479Shkodër · AlbaniaThe Venetian Senate judged the Albanian front no longer sustainable and authorized a conditional surrender. After the Ottomans took Shkodër, the fortress became a strategic hub controlling northern Albania and the Adriatic passage, and an important bargaining chip in the peace negotiations of the Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War.