Diplomacy in Renaissance Rome is an investigation of Renaissance diplomacy in practice. Presenting the first book-length study of this subject for sixty years, Catherine Fletcher substantially enhances our understanding of the envoy's role during this pivotal period for the development of diplomacy. Uniting rich but hitherto unexploited archival sources with recent insights from social and cultural history, Fletcher argues for the centrality of the papal court - and the city of Rome - in the formation of the modern European diplomatic system. The book addresses topics such as the political context from the return of the popes to Rome, the 1454 Peace of Lodi and after 1494 the Italian Wars; the assimilation of ambassadors into the ceremonial world; the prescriptive literature; trends in the personnel of diplomacy; an exploration of travel and communication practices; the city of Rome as a space for diplomacy; and the world of gift-giving.

'This study of the rise of the resident foreign ambassador at the papal court is a welcome synthesis of current scholarship combined with Catherine Fletcher's original work on the topic to date.'

Jennifer Mara Desilva Source: Renaissance and Reformation

'Complementing the growing academic interest in premodern diplomacy, Catherine Fletcher’s Diplomacy in Renaissance Rome brings the figure of the ambassador to the forefront of scholarly research. … Ultimately, the book provides a valuable holistic picture of resident diplomacy in Renaissance Rome. … Fletcher reminds us that diplomacy in itself consisted of a series of practices adapted to circumstances. A diplomat’s role and function can thus only be discerned from his activities.'

Tatyana A. Zhukova Source: The Sixteenth Century Journal