European domination
“The Spanish occupied Bizerte, but it wasn’t long before it fell into the Moors’ hands.
Under the government of Hamouda Pascha, Bizerte was bombed several times by Venetian Admiral Emo: first in 1784, then in 1785 when the city was reduced to ashes, and once more in 1786. Towards the end of the 17th century, the city’s port served as the base for the famous pirates who created so many problems for France and other Mediterranean countries. During the times of Louis XIV, the port at Bizerte was also from where boats set sail with grain from Tunisia to the famous Provence.
France had wanted to ensure its position in Bizerte for a long time, its commercial and military advantages being well-known for a long time. In 1881, Admiral Miot landed and raised the tri-colour flag atop the casbah.”
Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, Bizerte, J. Rothschild, Paris, 1900 (Prague, 1897)
