Ragusa and Venice, on the Adriatic

Back in January 2024, I passed this way and produced the region around the Skader lake in Albania. I've been working around the corner this represented back then, which is now mapped to the south and the west, thusly:

This includes the coast line up to Ragusa, which was a competitor with Venice for a time, but not a successful one. That is to say it was an independent maritime republic, paying tribute to the Ottoman Empire, which protects the state from Venice (who is no friend of the Ottomans), while at the same time Ragusa was careful to cultivate close relations with the Papal States and Catholics (also, no friends of the Venetians).  This, and Ragusa's nearer access to the Mediterranean made it a nimble competitor to Venice, with a fleet of about 150 ships.  Ragusa lasted until Napoleon got rid of them.

Cattaro, on the other hand, just to the east, modern day Kotor, now a part of Montenegro, was organised as a Venetian Viceroy, acting in Venice's behalf, right there next to Ragusa where they could keep watch. Just 90 km apart, round about 55 miles, both were fortified, both were technically Catholic, both had the Ottoman Turks in the hinterland (though, admittedly, it wasn't a very populated hinterland), both were paying tribute to the Turks and both operated on neutral trade, with Cattaro paying out to the coffers of Venice.  It's a bit closer to the Mediterranean, but it's also deep up a channel where it could be defended.

Both are filled with spies, excellent harbours, merchant guilds hiring escorts, smugglers sneaking cargo past Venice or past Ragusa.  Both have vicious plutocracies ready to sabotage the other, while lots of money is available for paying out any capable person willing to join; there's trade, there's piracy, there's escape inland (if you can avoid the Turks) and out to sea (if you don't fall prey to the Spanish across the Adriatic). Fun fun fun.