the Gulf, with the task of assisting Thessalonica, which the Republic had acquired the previous year, by attacking Gallipoli and applying military and diplomatic pressure on the Ottoman Sultan Murad II to recognize Venetian possession of the city. Loredan led his fleet to patrol the Dardanelles from July to October, and fought a number of engagements with the Turks. This prompted the Byzantine emperor to send Loredan a number of holy relics as a token of gratitude. Despite Loredan's activities, however, the conflict continued fruitlessly for the Venetians, amidst increasing suffering and discontent for the inhabitants of Thessalonica, until the city was conquered by the Ottomans in March 1430. In 1425, he was savio del consiglio, until he was elected as Procurator of St Mark's on 17 June. At this time, Venice decided to join the war between the ruler of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti, and the Republic of Florence, as Visconti's successes were threatening the balance of power in Italy. In 1426, Loredan was appointed as provveditore of the army along with Fantino Michiel, and accompanied the condottiere Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola in the conquest of Brescia (9–10 August 1426). Loredan remained in the city as rector over the next year. In summer 1427 he repelled a Milanese attack on Brescia, and was one of the driving forces in getting Carmagnola to abandon his dilatory stance and confront the Milanese, leading to the victory of the Battle of Maclodio on 11 October. Loredan disappears from the sources for the next few years until 1431, when the war between Venice and Milan was renewed. On 28 May, he was appointed as captain-general of the Sea and charged with sailing into the Tyrrhenian Sea, joining with the Florentines, and capturing Genoa, which had joined Visconti. The Venetian fleet gained a major victory over the Genoese at Rapallo on 21 August, but the Venetians failed in their efforts to overthrow the Genoese government. Loredan then led his fleet to winter in Apulia and Corfu. Returning to the Tyrrhenian Sea, he stormed the fortress of Sestri in July, where he was wounded; unable to contribute anything more to the campaign, he returned with his fleet to Venice, where they arrived on 22 October. Over the next few years, Loredan served alternately as savio del consiglio and ducal councillor for the sestiere of San Marco. When the conflict with Milan broke out again in