 In the summer of 1396 when Pera was besieged by the soldiers of Bajazet I, his galley happened to be stationed in the Golden Horn; the Genoese community of Pera petitioned Francesco for his help; he subsequently assisted the Venetians making a sortie to relieve Constantinople.Francisco, along with his uncle Niccolò, also pledged considerable sums in ransoming prisoners taken at the Battle of Nicopolis (1396); of the total ransom, fixed at 200,000 ducats, the two men made themselves liable for 150,000—which the prisoners promised to repay as soon as they could.This act, as well as the location of Lesbos, resulted in his home being frequently visited by traveling important personages from Western Europe