More Than a Messenger: Embodied Expertise in Mantuan Envoys to the Ottomans in the 1490s

The 1490s saw intense diplomatic activity between Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (r. 1484–1519), and the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). Envoys are often overlooked while attention is paid to the messages or goods that they delivered. This article, however, examines two important...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mediterranean studies (Kirksville, Mo.) Mo.), 2014-11, Vol.22 (2), p.166-189
Main Author: Cevizli, Antonia Gatward
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Armor
Armorers
Consuls
Diplomacy
Fortresses
Forts
Gift giving
Military diplomacy
Military engineering
Military personnel
Military strategy
Steels
Territories
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Summary:The 1490s saw intense diplomatic activity between Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (r. 1484–1519), and the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). Envoys are often overlooked while attention is paid to the messages or goods that they delivered. This article, however, examines two important envoys in detail and argues that they were chosen for the specific military and technical skills that they possessed. Both envoys delivered armor to the Ottomans in defiance of a papal ban. The nature of the goods that were sent and the backgrounds of the envoys bring nuance to the notion of a uniformly adversarial relationship between the Italian city-states and the Ottomans.
ISSN:1074-164X
2161-4741
DOI:10.5325/mediterraneanstu.22.2.0166