Strait of Otranto

Between southern Italy and the western Balkans, the Strait of Otranto is the gateway from the Ionian Sea into the Adriatic. Its shores face one another across a narrow stretch of water, making the passage important to ships traveling along both coasts. In 1480 an Ottoman fleet under Gedik Ahmed Pasha crossed from Albania and captured Otranto on the Italian side. The occupation lasted until the following year, when forces opposing the Ottomans recovered the town.