Otranto. On the third consecutive day of furious bombardment by the Ottomans. The Turks force a path through. A melee breaks out, and Francesco Zurlo, already wounded in previous skirmishes, is mortally wounded, and his body, still in its armor, lies in the gap. The Aragonese garrison in Naples is routed in the clash. The Turks enter the city, and street fighting ensues. In the frenzy of the Turks, the Venetian consul is also killed, and his residence is sacked. Part of the population takes refuge in the cathedral, where Archbishop Stefano Agricoli is also present. When the Turks break down the gate, he continues to pray until his head is cut off. The macabre trophy is paraded through the city streets. Canons, priests, and Jews are immediately massacred in the city. From various sources (the Benedictine friar Hilarion of Verona, but also the representative of Ludovico il Moro) there are accounts of young women having their dresses cut down to their pubic hair, raped, and then killed. A good portion of the surviving population was deported to Istanbul as slaves and concubines.
