Georgios Meizoteros, as well as Ioannis Varelis and Ioannis Akkidas have become active agents for the Spanish Empire. In various spying missions they contacted with religious figures in the area. In Corfu Alexios Rartouros was also cooperating with the Spanish and came in contact with various nobles from Epirus; Nikolaos Malmniotis and Michael Kolouris. Mani, a region known for his frequent revolts against the Ottoman authorities has received both Venetian and Spanish agents. However, Spanish involvement in Ottoman ruled Greek regions inevitably triggered Venetian concerns. With the outbreak of the Ottoman–Venetian War in spring 1570 Venice decided that drastic action was needed especially after the Ottoman attack on Cyprus. Venetian policy also dictated the need of support towards revolutionary movements among the Greek populations. Under this context the Greek diaspora leaving in Venice proved crucial and mobilization within the local Greek Brotherhood was intense. One prominent of its prominent members scholar Grigorios Malaxos, suggested fomenting a revolutionary movement in Greek territory, which would be supported by the Ecumenical Patriarch Metrophanes III. John of Austria also send agent to various Greek regions for the preparations of revolutionary activity. Activity in 1565 - March 1571 Albania The main centers of revolt in Ottoman Albania were the Himara region and the Dukagjin highlands. Rebels from these areas had even attempted to coordinate their actions at times, such as during a meeting at the Cape of Rodon in 1551. In Upper Albania, large scale rebellions had erupted in Dukagjin in 1565-1566, as well as in 1568 when the Ottomans had tried to tax the non-Muslims. By October 1570, 37 Albanian villages of the Ulqin area, as well as elders of villages near Shkodër had requested the Venetian governor for aid in anti-Ottoman operations since most Ottoman forces had left to quell the revolt in Himara. Led by Bartolomeo Dukagjin (possibly of the noble Albanian Dukagjini family) and supported by the Venetians, the Albanian rebels captured the town of Lezhe in December 1570. Almost simultaneously, another revolt erupted in the region of Mat. Alarmed by the spread of the rebellions, between December 1570 and March 1571, the Sultan ordered local Ottoman authorities to gather a force of janissaries and cavalry to attack Lezhe. Ottoman forces under Ahmed Pasha advanced from Skopje to Albania, then northwest towards Ulqin, overcoming a combined Venetian-Albanian force on the river Buna before reaching Ulqin itself. The defenders finally surrendered the