Beverley, Tessa (1999) Venetian ambassadors 1454-94 : an Italian elite. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This study is concerned with filling the gap that exists in our understanding of Venetian
diplomacy. Historical works on Renaissance diplomacy have tended to be general, and the
experience of Venice in the fifteenth century has been largely overlooked (partly because of
the lack of extant diplomatic material). Yet this period is of key importance in the history
of diplomacy; it was during the mid-fifteenth century that Italian states first used resident
ambassadors, something which became accepted practice in sixteenth century Europe.
My approach has been to carry out a prosopographical analysis of every patrician
who was appointed by Venice as an ambassador between 1454 and 1494. This has allowed
investigation into their economic standing, family connections, intellectual interests, and
political importance. Such a socio-political approach not only tells us much about
diplomatic practices, but also casts light on the development of elite groups in Venice.
The first chapter of the study is introductory, explaining the chronological context of
the study and outlining the debate over residency and the use of prosopography. Chapter
two discusses elites, describes the personnel who manned Venetian missions, and explains
the pattern of Venetian representation. Chapter three compares the theory and the reality of
Venetian diplomatic practices. Chapters four and five focus more closely on the
prosopography and consider the importance of family connections for ambassadors, their
humanist interests, their political standing. The final chapter looks at the development of
resident and permanent diplomacy in Venice.
I argue that Venetian ambassadors were drawn from the highest echelons of Venetian
society and that their elevated status affected the nature of Venetian diplomacy. The type of
men appointed by the Republic meant that Venice lagged behind many of its neighbours
(especially the Princely states) in the use of resident ambassadors. This was primarily due
to the nature of the Republic itself; Venice did not encourage long absences abroad or
diplomatic specialisation. The Venetian experience shows that the speed at which Italian
states responded to changes in diplomacy varied considerably and was closely related to
their own cultural and political values.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DG Italy J Political Science > JZ International relations
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Diplomacy -- Italy -- Venice -- History -- 15th century, Ambassadors -- Italy -- Venice -- History -- 15th century, Elite (Social sciences) -- Italy -- Venice -- History -- 15th century
Official Date:	September 1999
Dates:	Date Event September 1999 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mallett, Michael Edward
Sponsors:	University of Warwick. Dept. of History ; British Academy ; University of Warwick ; Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation ; Gilchrist Educational Trust
Extent:	ix, 466 leaves., [8] leaves of plates
Language:	eng

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