On August 6th, 1284, the day of St. Sixtus which is traditionally a protector of the people of Pisa, the admiral Oberto Doria set sail from the port of Genoa towards Pisa, leading a 63-galley Genoan fleet. The Pisans left their own harbor with 72 ships to respond to the attack, but were unaware of the fact that Commander Benedetto Zaccaria was circumnavigating the islet of Meloria with an additional 30 Genoan galleys. The Pisan fleet succumbed to the lateral assault. Over 11,000 prisoners were brought to Genoa, and the city was forced to put in place a special plan to host them all in an area that was named Campopisano (“Pisan field”).
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