on 28 july 1480, the turkish army landed in the area of salento (within the regional administration of puglia). their armed forces besieged the city of otranto, whose population lacking in assistance and protection from the king and the local noble families, had to capitulate some weeks later. in the whole kingdom of naples the feudal army had gone completely missing and the organization of a mercenary conscription system did not work yet. as a result, the king ferrante was compelled to subject the whole population to great financial efforts, which weakened the monarchy's consensus. moreover, a general impoverishment and a critical financial disorder was spreading in the country so that even the king was obliged either to sell or pawn part of his family's jewels and some precious books and manuscripts from his library. the tax burden reached an unbearable level and this further tax increase made barons upset, also as they saw in these measures a way of taking a revenge on them for an alleged relationship with the city venice, enemy of the aragon crown.