After the successful conquest of the island of Corfu in 1386, the Venetians gained a significant stronghold, which enabled them to control the entrance to "their gulf" - Gulfo de Venezia, as they called the Adriatic Sea. Their efforts to lure the coastal cities of Zeta under their rule became their principal preoccupation. Venice did not care about the means to fulfilling their goals.
Successful diplomatic activities and their fleet's strength enabled the Serenissima - Venetia to rule over Bar two times, from 1405 to 1412 and from 1422 to 1429, before they held the city for a longer period of time, 128 years to be precise, from july 4th 1443 till August 7th 1571.
At the beginning of their rule, the Venetians wanted to satisfy the political desires of the people of Bar, but Venice always had the last word in the decision-making. They apointed the princes themselves, usually from the famous noble families, and, together with a military commander and several officials, they had all the power.
The princes' titles in the town, which were determined by the Venetian captain of Shkoder until 1443, and later the Great Council in Venice, were rector and podesta. In 1447, the Venetian senate refused to acknowledge the title of comes et capitanes.
Still, the town received a great number of concessions among which the most important ones were: the acceptance of the archiepiscopal heritage, the minting of their own coinage (the Venetian-Bar bagatin - smaller in size, but heavier than the folar) and an independent judicial system. The cancellation of some taxes and the military obligation of Venice to defend the town should also be pointed out. However, these privileges were gradually cancelled, and they had completely disappeared by 1478.
At the beginning of the 16th century, there were more serious struggles between the nobiity and the ordinary people, which grew into open hostility and bloody conflicts, which grew into open hostility and bloody conflicts, which , to a great extent, were encouraged by the Venetians, in order to rule over the town more easily.
However, what was more difficult than the internal disturbances in the town, was the fact that this Venetian area near the border was worn-out from conflicts with the Ottomans on several occasions: 1474, 1477, 1479, 1499-1503,1532,1537-1540. The most severe attacks happened in 1500, when the town was under the Ottoman siege, and in 1537,when the Ottoman army attacked from Shkoder. The situation was difficult and, at times dramatic.
While they were expecting the final conflict with the Ottomans, Venice faced military problems. To be a master of the Adriatic, you had to control its main towns and ports, and when the Ottomans conquered the eastern  Adriatic, domination was no longer possible. That is why their pressure was so strong, wspecially after the conquest of Shkoder in 1496, after wich the plan was to rule the coast from Ulcinj to Herzeg Novi.