Un caso di pirateria veneziana !? Christian Slaves’ Testimonies in the Process of Gabriele Emo: Emotions, Actions and Reactions

This paper discusses the role played by 35 Christian Slaves in the process of Gabriele Emo, captain of three Venetian galleys of condemned. Found on the galley of Mehmet beg, son of Ramadan beg, the deceased Ottoman governor of Tripoli, the 35 Christian slaves were interrogated by the men of Gabriele Emo in order to collect the necessary arguments for the Venetian attack and sack of the Tripolitan galley. The testimonies collected in the file of the trial bring insights about the Christian slaves in the North of Africa, about life on board as slaves and describe the development of a very violent and unfortunate event. Through their testimonies, the Christian slaves not only give a voice to the many collective elements of the Sixteenth century Mediterranean, but they also became voiceless agents of a diplomatic game.