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Fifteenth-Century Diplomatic Documents in Western European Archives and Libraries (1450-1494)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2019

Vincent Ilardi
Vincent Ilardi*
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts
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Extract

The enormous mass of fifteenth-century diplomatic documents deposited in European archives and libraries, mostly in Italy, has never been explored and utilized systematically. Relatively small selections have been published in various collections and appendices of specialized monographs, but the over-all significance of these papers has never been assessed. By contrast sixteenth-century diplomatic documents have given rise to many printed collections and publications ever since the third decade of the last century when Leopold von Ranke first made extensive and effective use of the Venetian dispacci and relazioni in his History of the Popes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Studies in the Renaissance , Volume 9 , 1962 , pp. 64 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © Renaissance Society of America 1962

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Footnotes

*

This study is gratefully dedicated to the memory of Professor Federico Chabod.

References

1 See below, pp. 73 ff.

2 Consult above all G. Mattingly, ‘The First Resident Embassies’, Speculum XII (1937), 423-439, and his fundamental work, Renaissance Diplomacy (London, 1955), pp. 101 ff. Mattingly gives the essential bibliography on Renaissance diplomacy. Additional bibliographical references can be found in Hill, D. J., A History of Diplomacy in the International Development of Europe (London, 1921)Google Scholar, and Ganshof, F. L., Le Moyen âge in Histoire des relations Internationales, ed. Renouvin, P., vol. 1 (Paris, 1953)Google Scholar. Other titles are given in the notes that follow although the scope of this article precludes extensive citations of works in diplomatic history or published collections of diplomatic documents.

3 Mattingly, Renaissance Diplomacy, p. 101.

4 On the interdependence of European foreign relations at this time, see my doctoral dissertation, The Italian League and Francesco Sforza. A Study in Diplomacy, 1450-1466, deposited at Harvard University in 1957, and my article, ‘The Italian League, Francesco Sforza, and Charles VII (1454-1461)’, Studies in the Renaissance VI (1959), 129-166.

5 Financial support for research in European archives and libraries was supplied through a research grant under the Fulbright program.

6 The Guide was edited by D. H. Thomas and L. M. Case. The chapter on Italian archives was written by M. L. Shay.

7 These chronological limits are reflected in the references to archival series cited below even though the series may contain documents dated before and after this period. Exceptions to this practice have been made in cases where the beginning and/or ending dates overlap the years of our interest. Also for the sake of brevity citations refer only to years.

8 These guides will be cited below. For Italy we also have two useful general manuals on the Archivi di Stato: Ministero dell'Interno, Direzione Generale dell'Amministrazione Civile, L'ordinamento delle carte degli Archivi di Stato italiani (Rome, 1910), and Ministero dell'Interno, Ufficio Centrale degli Archivi di Stato, Gli Archivi di Stato Italiani (Bologna, 1944). The latter contains the most recent changes and it can be said to supersede the former in many respects.

9 It is a pleasant task to express publicly my appreciation to the numerous archivists and librarians whose advice and courtesy greatly facilitated the search for documents at their institutions. I owe a special debt of gratitude to the following European scholars. In Milan: Professors A. R . Natale, C. Santoro, and G. Soranzo; Venice: Professors R. Morozzo della Rocca, R. Cessi, M. Berengo, G. Cozzi, and Drs. M. F. Tiepolo, Lanfranchi, Mirabello, G. Ferrari, and Cavaliere Gallo; Florence: Professors N . Rubinstein, G. Spini, and B. Barbadoro, Drs. G. Pampaloni, R. Abbondanza; Rome and the Vatican: Senator Prof. R. Ciasca, Mons. M. Giusti, Prof. Sandri, and Dr. S. Damiani; Mantua: Prof. G. Coniglio, and Drs. Mazzoldi and B. Benedini; Modena: Dr. F. Valenti; Siena: Dr. S. de’ Colli; Genoa: Drs. G. Costamagna and Giunxe; Turin: Dr. Locorotondo; Barcelona: Drs. J. E. Martinez Fernando and V. Salavert. My indebtedness to the late Professor Federico Chabod for his generous aid in the handling of many problems in this study and Renaissance diplomatic history in general is greater than any acknowledgment could suggest. In the United States I have greatly benefited from the advice of Professors M. P. Gilmore, G. Mattingly, H. Baron, P. O. Kristeller, R. S. Lopez, and P. M. Kendall.

10 Bueno de Mesquita, D. M., Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan (1351-1402) (Cambridge, England, 1941)Google Scholar, ch. v; Mattingly, pp. 71 ff.

11 Santoro, C., Gli Uffici del dominio sforzesco (1450-1500) (Milan, 1948), XV Google Scholar.

12 V. Ilardi, The Italian League and Francesco Sforza, passim.

13 Mattingly, p. 85.

14 In the absence of any published guide, brief descriptions of the archives can be found in L'ordinamento, pp. 47-57, and in Archivi di Stato Italiani, pp. 151-182.

15 To provide even an approximate idea of the wealth of records comprising the Potenze Estere series, the holdings of its largest sections are listed here. Genoa: cartelle 407-459 (1450-1475), c. 991-999 (1475-1491), c. 1209-1212 (1492-1495), c. 771-794 (1466-1468); Rome: c. 40-111 (1450-1494), c. 1303-1304 (senza data); Naples: c. 195-252 (1450-1495), c. 1248 (1454-1498), c. 1249-1250 (non datate); Florence: c. 265-312 (1450-1491), c. 937-940 (1491-1494), c. 953 (senza data); Venice: c. 340-378 (1450-1494), c. 1062 (1477). The cartelle senza data contain documents for our period. The fact that in some cases the cartelle are not numbered consecutively is due to the confused state of this collection. By the same token this list may not be entirely accurate since it was not possible to inspect each cartella, and this warning applies also to the rest of the Sforza collection cited below.

16 A handwritten index at the archives lists 214 Registri Ducali together with summary indications of their contents.

17 Registri delle Missive 1-198 cover the period 1447-1495. The archives have a manuscript index giving the chronological limits and the places of destination for each register as well as the corresponding cartelle in which the registers are stored. Reg. 85 contains a copiario of dispatches sent by Sagramoro da Rimini, Milanese ambassador in Florence, covering the period from 17 Dec. 1468 to 23 Aug. 1469.

18 Trattati, cartelle 1521-1552 (1450-1494). There is an old but fairly accurate manuscript index of this collection. This is a well-ordered series that should be relatively easy to catalogue.

19 In the Potenze Sovrane series, cartelle 1455-1468 have important family documents for our period. Many of these papers have been published by Morbio, C., Codice Visconteo-Sforzesco; ossia raccolta di leggi, decreti e lettere famigliari dei Duchi di Milano (Milan, 1846)Google Scholar.

20 Sommari, cartelle 1560-1565. Each cartella contains communications of different dates received from several states. According to Prof. A. R. Natale, director of the archives, the practice of making summaries of reports and letters received from other states began in Milan before 1454, but many summaries for the second half of the fifteenth century have not survived.

21 The archives have a multivolume manuscript inventory of the Autografi.

22 Bolle e brevi papali, cartelle 38-39, 42, 45, 47-49, 54-55, and 59 contain bulls and briefs from Nicholas v to Alexander vi; Cifrari, cartelle 1591 and 1597. These cartelle contain cipher keys and letters in cipher for the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Nationalbibliothek in Vienna has a codex N. 2398 (Philol. 138) of 169 folios entitled Franciscus Tranchedinus, Furtivae litterarum notae, which contains around two hundred cipher keys used by the Milanese chancery 1450-1496.

23 A brief account of the dispersal of Sforza documents from the Milanese archives is supplied by Santoro, C., ‘Notizie su alcuni codici sforzeschi’, Atti e Memorie del Terzo Congresso Storico Lombardo (1938) (Milan, 1939), pp. 47–51 Google Scholar.

24 See ibid, for a summary description of the Sforza codices deposited at the Ambrosi Burgunana. The documents are usually stored in cartons to which a codex number is given.

25 Santoro, Gli Uffici, and her articles, ‘Un registro di doti sforzesche’, Archivio storico lombardo, ser. VIII, IV (1953), 133-185, and ‘Un codice di Bona di Savoia’, ibid., ser. VIII, V (1954-1955), 267-291; C. E. Visconti, ‘Ordine dell'esercito ducale sforzesco’, ibid., III (1876), 448-513; G. Porro Lambertenghi, ‘Preventivo delle spese per Ducato di Milano del 1476', ibid., v (1878), 130-134.

26 Consult I. Ghiron, ‘Bibliografia lombarda. Catalogo dei manoscritti intorno alia storia della Lombardia esistenti nelle Biblioteca Nazionale di Brera’, Archivio storico lombardo VI (1879), 155-174, 367-397, 576-598; VII (1880), 41-72; IX (1882), 698 rF.; XX (1883), 736-768; and L. Frati, I Codici Morbio della R. Biblioteca di Brera (Forli, 1897, Inventari dei manoscritti delle biblioteche d'ltalia, ed. G. Mazzatinti, VII).

27 Inventario dei manoscritti italiani delle biblioteche di Francia (Rome, 1886-1888). Vol. II, 285-509, contains a description of each document in codices 1583-1596. Other French libraries have many Italian codices and documents of all periods, but relatively few of the fifteenth century, and these appear to be copies made later for the most part.

28 Dépêches des ambassadeurs milanais en France sous Louis XI et François Sforza (Paris, 1916-1923). This work contains dispatches along with some instructions and supporting documents for the period 1461-1466.

29 Other important published collections of Milanese diplomatic documents for this period in addition to Mandrot's were published by F. de Gingins-la-Sarraz, Dépêches des ambassadeurs milanais sur les campagnes de Charks-le-Hardi due de Bourgogne de 1474 à 1477 (Paris, 1858); J. Chmel, ‘Briefe und Atkenstücke zur Geschichte der Herzoge von Mailand von 1452 bis 1513 aus den originalen’, Notizenblatt zum Archiv für osterreichischen Geschichte VI (1856), 30 ff.; and Hinds, A. B., Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts Existing in the Archives and Collections of Milan, vol. 1, 1385-1618 (London, 1912)Google Scholar.

30 The edition is being prepared by Professors P. M. Kendall of Ohio University, A. R. Natale, director of the Archivio di Stato in Milan, E. Pontieri of the University of Naples, E. Sestan of the University of Florence, and the writer. The Istituto will also publish an English edition in which the summaries of the dispatches and the scholarly apparatus will appear in English.

31 The Archivio di Stato in Venice has a small collection of late Quattrocento dispatches in the Costantinopoli series, Filza (file) IA (1484-1557), namely, Dispacci al Senato di Pietro Bembo, bailo a Costantinopoli, 16 Jan. 1484-9 Feb. 1485; Dispacci al Senato di Giovanni Dario, Segretario in Costantinopoli, 31 May 1484-28 Feb. 1485; Dispacci al Senato di Antonio Ferro, ambasciatore a Costantinopoli, Feb.-March 1487; Dispacci di Girolamo Marcello, bailo in Costantinopoli, June 1492. The series Dispacci al Senato—Rettori ed altre cariche, secoli XV-XVI, Busta (envelope) 2, has a handful of dispatches from Venetian officials and emissaries in the Orient for the 1480s. Also Cod. 823 of the Miscellanea contains a Registro di lettere del Provveditore Generate in Terraferma, Lorenzo Loredan, 1477-1478, which is important for diplomatic and military affairs in this critical year. This constitutes the entire collection of actual diplomatic dispatches for our period preserved at the Venetian archives. See R. Morozzo della Rocca, Dispacci degli ambasciatori al Senato. Indice (Venice, 1959), and A. Da Mosto, L’ Archivio di Stato di Venezia. Indice generate, storico, descrittivo e analitico (Rome, 1937-1940).

32 See Baschet, A., Les archives de Venise. Histoire de la Chancellerie Secrète. Le Senate, le Cabinet des Ministres, le Conseil des Dix et les Inquisiteurs d'État dans lews rapports France (Paris, 1870)Google Scholar, passim, but especially pp. 257-260, and the preface in the Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts Relating to English Affairs, Existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice, and in Other Libraries of Northern Italy, vol. I, 1202-1509, ed. by R. Brown (London, 1864). Perret's Histoire des relations de la France avec Venise du XIIIe siècle à I'avènement de Charles VIII (Paris, 1896), the standard monograph on the subject, is based mostly on the deliberations of the Venetian senate and on the dispatches of foreign ambassadors in Venice, especially the Milanese. The great collection of Venetian manuscripts formed by Ranke deals mostly with Venetian history from the sixteenth century onwards. See The Leopold von Ranke Manuscripts of Syracuse University. The First One Hundred Titles, compiled by H. O. Brogan, A. Pace, and A. Weinberger (Syracuse, 1952?). For an extensive list of published collections of Venetian diplomatic records, consult Antonibon, F., Le relazioni a stampa di ambasciatori veneti (Padua, 1939)Google Scholar.

33 Dispacci dell'ambasciatore veneto a Milano, 1485-1487, British Museum Addl. MS. 48067 LXXIII (Yelverton 73). I am indebted to Prof. G.Cozzi of the Fondazione Cini for drawing my attention to these dispatches. It may be useful to list here the most important collections of Venetian late Quattrocento diplomatic dispatches deposited at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana and at the Biblioteca Comunale at Bologna. Marciana: Francesco Contarini, Registro delle lettere scritte al Senato quando era ambasciatore e Siena dal 1 marzo 1454 al 17 settembre 1455, It. VII, Cod. 1196 (8884); Dispacci di Zaccaria Barbaro da Napoli, 1 novembre 1471-7 settembre 1473, It. VII, Cod. 398 (8170); Zaccaria Contarini e Girolamo Lion, Registro delle lettere scritte al Senato nel tempo della loro ambasciata a Massimiliano I Imperatore dei Romani, 13 novembre 1493-18 marzo 1494, It. VII, Cod. 1044 (9608); Dispacci alia Signoria di Badoer Sebastiano e Benedetto Trevisan, ambasciatori a Lodovico Sforza, 22 novembre 1494-4giugno 1495> It- VEi Cod. 547 (8529). Biblioteca Comunale: Jacopo Barbarigo, Lettere e istruzioni sullaguerra di Morea, 1465-1466, Cod. 16-c-II, 6 (A325).

34 See his Memorie istorico-cronologiche spettanti ad ambasciatori della Ser.ma Republica di Venetia spediti a varii Principi, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Miscellanea, Cod. 122. A copy of this codex is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, It. VII, Cod. 169 (8186). The Biblioteca Querini Stampalia in Venice has another list of Venetian ambassadors, Cod. Classe IV, CCLmbis, entitled, Ambascerie ordinarie e estraordinarie espedite a diversi Potentati del Mondo dalla Republica di Venezia dalla suafondazione sino alpresente anno 1636.

35 Senato Secreti, Registri 19-35 cover the period 1450-1494.

36 Collegio—Commissioni Busta (1473-1479), and Registro (1482-1495). Collegio—Notatorio Registri 8-14 (1444-1498).

37 Collegio—Lettere Segrete, Filza I (1486-1489) and three registers covering the periods 1484-1485, 1490-1494, 1494-1495. Lettere di Principi, Busta 35 (Spagna), 1467-1639. This series really begins in the sixteenth century. Lettere Sottoscritte della Signoria, Terra, Filza 1 (1488), F. 2 (1492), and Mare, F. 164 (1492). In the Ducali ed Atti Diplomatici, only Busta xx has letters of various dates within our period.

38 The Consiglio dei Died, for instance, considered several proposals in the late 1440s and 1450s for the assassination of Francesco Sforza. See V. Lamansky, Secrets d'etat de Venise (St. Petersbourg, 1884), pp. 9-10, 14-16, 160-162.

39 Consiglio dei Died—Lettere Miste, Filza 1 (1456-1477), F. 2 (1479-1482), F. 3 (1489), F. 4 (1490). Registri 13-26 (1445-1495). Lettere dei Died—Capi, Filze 1-2 (1473-1483). Consiglio dei Died—Capi—Notatorio, Regs. 1-2 (1478-1500). The archives of the Capi also include Document! relativi al Trentino tratti daifasci di lettere secrete ai Capi del Consiglio dei X, Filza 1 (1470-1540), and Lettere Diverse, Busta 5 (1490-1514) which are of relatively minor importance for this time.

40 Libri Pactorum (Patti), Registri 1-7 (883-1496). On this series, consult L. De Mas-Latrie, ‘Rapport sur le recueil des Archives de Venise intitule Libri Pactorum ou Patti’, Archives des missions scientifiques et Utteraires 11 (1851), 261-300, 341-385. The archives have a chronological index N. 243 of the Miscellanea that lists documents dating from the eighth to the eighteenth centuries. For the Libri Commemoriali, see Predelli, R., I libri commemoriali della Republica di Venezia. Regesti (Venice, 1876-1914)Google Scholar. Vols, iv-v cover our period.

41 At the archives there is an analytical index of the Regina Margherita collection.

42 An index at the archives describes the Podocataro collection.

43 Inventario N. 235 at the archives lists the bulls in chronological order from 1053 to 1796 and gives summaries of their contents.

44 Catalogo N. 98 at the archives lists the contents of the six buste comprising the Soranzo collection. See also G. Dalla Santa, ‘Benedetto Soranzo patrizio veneziano, arcivescovo di Cipro, e Girolamo Riario. Una pagina nuova della Guerra di Ferrara degli anni 1482-1484’, Nuovo archivio veneto XXVIII (1914), 308-387.

45 Indices nos. 62 and 246 at the archives describe the contents of the Archivio del Duca di Candia and the Miscellanea respectively.

46 The contents of this miscellaneous collection can be quickly ascertained by consulting Index N. 236 at the archives. There is also a special collection of about 1600 Autografi by rulers and prominent individuals, not seen by me, which according to Da Mosto, op. cit., II, 256, contains mostly papers dealing with private affairs. Da Mosto lists the persons represented in the collection.

47 See note 33.

48 The Biblioteca Marciana, unlike the Museo Correr, is richly endowed with manuscript indices of its holdings. A catalogue of its Latin manuscripts was published by Valentinelli, G., Biblioteca manuscripta ad S. Marci Venetiarum (Venice, 1868-1873)Google Scholar. A multivolume catalogue of the Italian manuscripts is in course of publication by the library. Consult also B. Cecchetti, Inventario di manoscritti di materia veneta custoditi nella R. Biblioteca Marciana in Venezia in vol. III of the Statistica degli Archivi della Regione Veneta (Venice, 1880-1881).

49 The Nationalbibliothek in Vienna has another significant collection of Venetian chronicles which has been described by T. Gar, ‘I codici storici della Collezione Foscarini conservata nella Imperiale Biblioteca di Vienna’, Archivio storico italiano v (1843), 281-476.

Partial studies of Venetian chronicles have been made by F. Thiriet, ‘Les chroniques vénetiennes de la Marcienne’, Ecole Francaise de Rome, Melanges d'archeologie et d'histoire LXVI (1954), 241-292; V. Lazzarini, ‘Marino Faliero. La congiuraé, Nuovo archivio veneto XIII (1897), 5-107, 277-374; M. Zannoni, ‘Le fonti della cronaca veneziana di Giorgio Dolfin', Atti delR. Istituto Veneto CI (1942), 32 ff., and ‘Giorgio Dolfm, cronista veneziano del secolo XVé, Memorie della R. Accademia di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti di Padova LVIH (1942), 24 ff.; and F. Nani Mocenigo, Memorie veneziane (Venice, 1906-1911). Consult also Foscarini, M., Della letteratura veneziana ed altri scritti intorno ad essa (Venice, 1854)Google Scholar, and Degli Agostini, G., Notizie istorico-critiche intorno la vita e le opere degli scrittori viniziani (Venice, 1752)Google Scholar.

50 The Podocataro collection at the Marciana is described by L. G. Pelissier, ‘Inventaire de la Collection Podocataro à la Bibliothèque de Saint-Marc Venise’, Centralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen XVIII (1901), 473-493, 521-541, 576-598.

51 See D. Marzi, La Cancelleria della Republica fiorentina (Rocca S. Casciano, 1910); Appendice I contains a summary volume-by-volume list of all the series comprising the records of the Florentine chancery. There is a summary printed guide, now outdated in some respects, of the Archivio di Stato in Florence: Inuentario sommario del R. Archivio di Stato di Firenze (Florence, 1903). An up-to-date bibliography on the Florentine archives can be found in ‘Notizie degli Archivi Toscani', ed. N. Rodolico in Archivio storico italiano, CXIV (1956), 304-319. This whole issue is devoted to a description of legislation and regulations governing the Tuscan archives.

52 Signori—Missive—Prima Cancelleria, Registri 38-50 (1452-1494). Signori—Carteggi— Missive—Legazioni e Commissarie—Elezioni e Istruzioni a Oratori, Regs. 12-22 (1447- 1495), and Reg. 28 (1401-1529). The last register is not listed in Marzi, op. cit., p. 530.

53 Signori—Minutari, Filze 7-14 (1466-1495), F. 16 (1491-1502), F. 18 (1494-1532). Missive Originali—Prima Cancelleria, F. 1 (1287-1494), F. 4 (1403-1494), and Busta 3 (1313-1487).

54 Lettere Originali Responsive alia Signoria, Filza 7 (1402?-1528?), F. 8 (1402-1499), F. 9 (1483-1530). Copiari di Lettere Responsive, Regs. 1-2 (1452-1483). Signori—Legazioni e Commissarie—Risposte Verbali di Oratori, Reg. 1 (1458-1461), Reg. 2 (1465-1496). The archives have inventories of the Responsive Originali and Copiari that list the letters, the senders, and the relative dates.

55 See Marzi, op. cit., pp. 365 ff.

56 Consulte e Pratiche, Registri 52-56 (1446-1462), Regs. 57-60 (1465-1480), and Reg. 61 (1495-1496). On the importance of this series for the study of Florentine foreign policy, consult G. Pampaloni, ‘Gli organi della Republica fiorentina per le relazioni con l'estero’, Rivista di studipolitici internazionali XX (1953), 290 ff., and his recent study based on this series, ‘Fermenti di riforme democratiche nella Firenze Medicea del Quattrocento’, Archivio storico italiano CXIX (1961), 11-62, 241-281.

57 Marzi, op. cit., pp. 176-178; Pampaloni, ‘Gli organi’, pp. 270 ff. stresses the subordinate rôle of the Died to the Signoria.

58 Died di Balia—Missive—Legazioni e Commissarie, Reg. 4 (1451-1454), Reg. 5 (1482- 1483), Regs. 6-14 (1485-1495). X di Balia-Responsiue, Filza 9 (1430-1431 and 1453-1519), Regs. 21-24 (145I-1469), Filze 25-38 (1479-1494), F. 39 (1494-1497, 1468, 1493). Filze 7, 59, and 92 have few documents for our period.

59 X di Balia—Sommari di Missive e Responsive e Ricordi, Regs. 1-2 (1478-1495). Deliberazioni, Condotte e Stanziamenti, Regs. 19-31 (1451-1495). There are also two registers, 7-8 (1451-1453), of Ricordanze or memoranda not seen by me.

60 Otto di Pratica—Lettere e Istruzioni a Oratori, Regs. 1-9 (1480-1493). Responsive, Filze 1-10 (1471-1497). For the 1470s these filze contain letters addressed to the Died since the Otto were not created until 1480, but letters to the Died can also be found scattered in other filze. Minutari e Ricordi, Reg. 1 (1487-1493); Ricordanze, Reg. 1 (1486-1487).

61 The miscellaneous character of this series and the overlapping dates of each busta or register preclude any attempt to give even summary indications. Suffice it to say that the following buste or registers contain important documents for this period: 2, 4, 6, 9-29, 36, 48, 60, 62-63, 65, 67, and 77-78. Inventario N. 318 at the archives describes in detail the contents of this series. An inventory has just been published by M. Del Piazzo, ‘Signoria, Dieci di Balia, Otto di Pratica. Legazioni e Commissarie, Missive e Responsive. Inventario sommario’, Quaderni della Rassegna degli Archivi di Stato N. 1 (1960). This may be a copy of Inventario 318.

62 This collection of regulations has been published by Vedovato, G., Note sul diritto diplomatico della Republka fiorentina. In appendice: Costituzione per gli ambasciatori, 1421-1525 (Florence, 1946)Google Scholar.

63 The archives have a detailed inventory of the Carte di Corredo-Legazioni e Commissarie.

64 Among the most important buste and registers of the Appendice ai Capitoli are Buste 12 (14thcent.-1480), 13 (1482-1531), 20 (15thcent.-1507),2i (15th-17th centuries), and Reg. 14 (1401-1467), Reg. 17 (1434-1512). For the Capitoli series, consult Inventari 280 and 282 at the archives.

65 For a detailed treatment of Cosimo's rôle as an international statesman, see Ilardi, The Italian League and Francesco Sforza, passim.

66 Pampaloni, ‘Gli organi’, p. 294 and n. 158.

67 Ministero dell'Interno, Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato. Archivio di Stato di Firenze. Archivio Mediceo Avanti il Principato (Rome, 1951-1957). The last two volumes are in preparation. The records of the letters sent by Lorenzo and his son Piero, which form filze 62-64 of the Mediceo Avanti il Principato, have been published by M. Del Piazzo, Protocolli del Carteggio di Lorenzo il Magnifico per gli anni 1473-1474, 1477-141)2 (Florence, 1956), and ‘I ricordi di lettere di Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici', Archivio storico italiano CXIII (1954), 378-432, CXIII (1955), 101-142. Del Piazzo has also published a list of'Le lettere di Lorenzo il Magnifico nell'Archivio di Stato di Firenze', Rassegna degli Archivi di Stato xvi (1956), 10-46. For the importance of the correspondence and records of the Medici bank even in international affairs, consult Grunzweig, A., La Correspondance de lafiliale de Bruges des Medici (Bruxelles, 1931)Google Scholar, and G. Marri Camerani, I documenti commercials del fondo diplomatico Mediceo nell'Archivio di Stato di Firenze (1230-1492). Regesti (Florence, 1950).

68 For details on this edition, see Renaissance News VIII (1955), 225-227, XIII (1960), 55.

69 The archives have an inventory of the Acquisti e Doni series.

70 See C. Guasti and G. Milanesi, Le Carte Strozziane del R. Archivio di Stato in Firenze. Inventario (Florence, 1884-1891).

71 Consult C. Guasti, I manoscritti Torrigiani donati al R. Archivio di Stato di Firenze. Descrizione e saggio (Florence, 1878). This is a more complete and revised version of that previously published in the Archivio storico italiano, ser. III, XIX-XX (1874-1875).

72 The archives of the dukes of Urbino were inherited by the Medici in the seventeenth century, and now form a special collection in the state archives, which also possess a detailed inventory of this collection.

73 Permission to use the Guicciardini papers must be obtained from Dr. Gino Corti, the archivist, to whom I wish to express my appreciation for granting me such a permission.

74 See a detailed catalogue of the Guicciardini archives published by Ridolfi, R., L'Archivio della Famiglia Guicciardini, edizione riveduta ed ampliata (Florence, 1931)Google Scholar.

75 Vol. 1, Alfabeti che servono a spiegare le lettere in cifra del Carteggio dei Died di Balia dal 424 al 1530, and vol. II, Alfabeti che servono a spiegare le lettere in cifra del Carteggio degli Otto di Pratica dal 1482 al 1530. The second volume also contains keys to codes used by the Signoria in its Missive from 1481 to 1530. Gabbrielli lists keys also for the Responsive of the Signoria (1414-1530), but none of the keys listed apply for the years 1450-1494. On Florentine ciphers, consult also G. E. Saltini, ‘Dispacci in cifre del R. Archivio di Stato di Firenze’, Archivio storico italiano, ser. III, XIV (1871), 473-476. According to Saltini, Gabbrielli discovered the keys for 1,311 codes used by Florence between 1414 and 1730.

76 This work is entitled Spoglio del carteggio universale della Republica Fiorentina. Inventario e regesto delle lettere 0 del carteggio del secolo XV ritenute più notevoli. Vols, III-V cover the period 1426-1495.

77 Two important collections are: A. Desjardins, Négotiations diplomatiques de la France avec la Toscane. Documents recueillis par Giuseppe Canestrini (Paris, 1859-1886) (vol. 1 covers our period); G. Müller, Documenti sulle relazioni delle città toscane coll'Oriente cristiano e coi Turchifino all'anno MDXXXI (Florence, 1879). See also Buser, B., Die Beziehungen der Mediceer zu Frankreich wahrend derjahre 1434-1494 (Leipzig, 1879)Google Scholar, appendix.

78 R. Piattoli, ‘Proposta di publicazione delle istruzioni per gli ambasciatori fiorentini del periodo umanistico’, Atti e Memorie dell'Accademia ‘La Colombaria’ XVI (1947-1950), 203-212.

79 Del Piazzo, M., ‘Gli ambasciatori toscani del Principato (1537-1737)’, Notizie degli Archivi di Stato XII (1952), 2–169 Google Scholar.

80 Partial studies have been published by Vedovato, G., ‘I giovani nelle ambascerie della Republica fiorentina’, in Studi in onore di Niccolo Rodolico (Florence, 1944)Google Scholar; Santini, E., Firenze e i suoi oratori nel Quattrocento (Milan, 1922)Google Scholar, which examines the speeches of the Florentine ambassadors from the point of view of style; E. Dupré Theseider, Niccolò Machiavelli diplomatico. Vol. 1, L'arte della diplomazia nel Quattrocento (Como, 1945). This work contains a brief treatment of diplomatic techniques in the fifteenth century largely based on Florentine practices, and was designed as an introduction to a study of Machiavelli as a diplomat that was never written.

81 The most extensive up-to-date guide for the Vatican archives is that by Fink, K. A., Das vatikanische Archiv (2d ed., Rome, 1951)Google Scholar. Other useful guides are: Sussidiper la consultazione dell'Archivio Vaticano (Rome, 1926, 1931, 1947, Studi e Testi nos. 45, 55, 134); L. Macfarlane, ‘The Vatican Archives with Special Reference to the Sources for British History’, Archives, the Journal of the British Records Association IV, nos. 21-22 (1959), 29-44, 84-101; M. François, ‘Les sources de l'histoire réligieuse de la France au Vatican’, Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France XIX (1933), 305-346. The old guide by G. Brom, Guide aux Archives du Vatican (Rome, 1910), is too summary and now outdated in several respects. The Index Room at the Vatican archives is well supplied with manuscript indices and inventories of various collections. The most complete of these is the Schedario Garampi, consisting of 124 folio volumes, which gives an alphabetical and chronological index of most collections. It was compiled by Giuseppe Garampi and others 1749-1808. Other manuscript indices will be cited below.

82 The dispatches of papal nuncios from the sixteenth century onwards have been and are being published by various cultural institutes in Rome, notably the German, Austrian, French, Belgian, Dutch, and Swiss, and by individual scholars. Italy has recently joined in this enterprise. The Istituto Storico Italiano per l'Eta Moderna e Contemporanea of the University of Rome is now preparing for publication the correspondence of nuncios residing at Venice, Turin, Naples, and Florence. For an extensive list of these publications, consult N. Summers and W. A. Fletcher, ‘Vatican City’, in the Guide to the Diplomatic Archives of Western Europe, pp. 303-307.

83 The basic works on the development of permanent resident nunciatures are: Pieper, A., Zur Entstehungsgeschichte der ständigen Nuntiaturen (Freiburg, 1894)Google Scholar; Richard, P., ‘Les origines de la nonciature de France. Nonces résidents avant Léon x, 1456-1511’, Revue des questions historiques LXXXVIII (1905), 103–147 Google Scholar, and ‘Origines des nonciatures permanentes. La representation pontificale au XVe siècle (1450-1513)’, Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique VII (1906), 52-70, 317-338; and H. Biaudet, ‘Les nonciatures apostoliques permanantes jusqu'en 1648’, Annales de l'Académie des Sciences de Finlande. Études Romaines II (1910), 13-244. Pieper, Richard, and Biaudet have published lists of nuncios residing in various countries in the fifteenth century and later. See also D. E. Queller, ‘Thirteenth Century Diplomatic Envoys: Nuncii and Procuratores’, Speculum XXXV (1960), 196-213; Capace Galeota, N., Cenni storici dei nunzi apostolici residenti nel regno di Napoli (Naples, 1877)Google Scholar; F. Gaeta, ‘Origine e sviluppo della rappresentanza stabile pontificia in Venezia (1485-1533)’, Annuario dell'Istituto Storico Italiano per l'Eta Moderna e Contemporanea IX-X (1959); von Moser, F. C., Geschichte der päpstlichen Nuntien in Deutschland (Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1788)Google Scholar; Fabisza, X. P. W., Wiadomosc o legatach i nuncyuszach apostolskich w dawnej Polsce, 1075-1865 (Ostrów, 1866)Google Scholar; Wierzbowski, T., Synopsis legatorum a latere, legatorum natorum, nuntiorum ordinariorum et extraordinariorum, internuntiorum, delegatorum, commissariorum, collectorum et subcollectorum… in Polonia terrisque adiacentibus, 1073-1794 (Rome, 1880)Google Scholar; De Hinojosa, R., Los despachos de la diplomacia pontificia en España. Memoria de una missión official en elArchiuo Secreto de la Santa Sede, vol. 1, 1450-1605 (Madrid, 1896)Google Scholar, J. F. Alonso, ‘Nuncios pontificios ante el Rey Don Fernando’, in V. Congreso de Historia de la Corona de Aragón in the volume Pensiamiento politico internacional y religioso de Fernando el Católico (Zaragoza, 1956). I have not seen A. Fernández, ‘Nuncios colectores y legados pontificios en España de 1474 a 1492’, Hispana Sacra (1957).

84 See G. L. Lesage, ‘La titulature des envoyés pontificaux sous Pie II (1458-1464)’, Éole Française de Rome, Mélanges d'archeologie et d'histoire LVIII (1941-1946), 206-242. On the growth of the diplomatic institutions of the papacy, consult A. Giobbio, Lezioni di diphmazia pontificia dettate nella Pontificia Accademia dei Nobili Ecclesiastici (Rome, 1899-1904); Bettanini, A. M., Il fondamento giuridico della diphmazia pontificia (Rome, 1908)Google Scholar; P. Richard, ‘Origines et developpement de la Secretaire d'État Apostolique (1417-1823)’, Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique XI (1910), 56-72, 505-529, 728-754; A. Serafini, ‘Le origini della pontificia Segretaria di Stato e la “Sapiehti Consilio” del B. Pio x’, Apollinaris XXV (1952), 165-239; Brezzi, P., La diphmazia pontificia (Milan, 1942)Google Scholar; and Graham, R. A., Vatican Diplomacy: a Study of Church and State on the International Plane (Princeton, 1959)Google Scholar.

85 Two collections of dispatches by papal nuncios in the second half of the fifteenth century have been published in a now rare edition by S. Ljubic, Dispacci di Lucca de Tollentis vescovo di Sebenico e di Lionelh Cheregato vescovo di Traù, nunzi apostolici in Borgogna e nelle Fiandre, 1472-1488 (Zagabria, 1876), and Carusi, E., Dispacci e lettere di Giacomo Gherardi nunzio pontificia a Firenze e Milano (11 settembre 1487-10 ottobre 1490) (Rome, 1909)Google Scholar. Studies and documents on the missions of individual papal envoys for this time include E. Meuthen, ‘Zum Itinerar der deutschen Legation Bessarions (1460-1461)’, Quel len undForschungen ausitalienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken XXVII. (1957), 328-333; Janssen, J., Frankfurts Reichskorrespondenz nebst andern verwandten Aktenstücken von 1376 bis 1519 (Freiburg, 1866), II, 201–225 Google Scholar, also on Bessarion's mission; A. Gottlob, ‘Der Legat Raimund Peraudi’, Historisches Jahrbuch VI (1885), 438-461, and ‘Des Nuntius Franz Coppini Anteil an der Entthronung des Königs Heinrich VI und seine Verurteilung bei der römischen Curie’, Deutsche Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenshaft IV (1890), 75-111; G. Morin, ‘Une relation inédite der nonce franciscain Rangoni (?) sur la situation de l'Allemagne en 1455-71’, Historiches Jahrbuch LVI (1936), 507-508.

86 C. M. De Witte, ‘Notes sur les plus anciens registres de brefs’, Bulletin de 1'Institut Historique Beige de Rome XXXI (1958), 153-168 contains a complete list and description of these early registers. Cf. Lang, G., Studien zur Brevenregistem und Brevenkonzepten des XV Jahrhunderts aus dem Vatikanischen Archiv (Rome, 1938)Google Scholar. There is an eighteenth-century inventory N. 133 of this series in the Index Room of the Vatican archives. It was compiled by Pietro Donnino de Pretis.

87 Registri Vaticani 385-884 cover the period 1447-1503. Some of these volumes are supplied with indices. A separate but incomplete series of indices (Rubricelle) can be found in the Index Room, vols. 240-289. Studi e Testi no. 45 has a complete list of the Vatican registers. On the history of this series, consult M. Giusti, ‘I Registri Vaticani e le loro provenienze originarie’, in Miscellanea archivistica Angelo Mercati (Città del Vaticano, 1952, Studi e Testi no. 165), pp. 383-459. A great number of bulls have been published in various collections such as Bullarum, diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum romanorum pontificum … editio by A. Tomassetti (Augustae Taurinorum, 1857-1872); Bullarium romanutn novissimum a B. Leone Magno usque ad Innocentium X, ed. L. and A. M. Cherubim (Rome, 1655-1673); Bullarum privilegiorum ac diplomatum romanorum pontificum amplissima collectio, ed. C. Cocquaelines (Rome, 1739-1762).

88 Fink, op. cit., pp. 168-171 lists all the registers published up to 1951. Mons. M. Giusti, prefect of the Vatican archives, has now ready for the press many registers for the second half of the fifteenth century.

89 On the development of the Secretariat of State, see Richard, ‘Origins et developpement’; Serafini, ‘Le origini’; and Hofman, W. V., Forschungen zur Geschichte der kurialen Behörden pom Schisma bis zur Reformation (Rome, 1914)Google Scholar.

90 Inventories nos. 1023-1027 in the Index Room describe the contents of the Nunziature series.

91 A two-volume index N. 1029 in the Index Room lists the volumes in the fifteen armaria and divides their contents by subject. An old index N. 110, entitled Dei libri di cosè diverse, cioi Instruzioni, Relationi, e Discorsi di varie materie quali sono nell'Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, has also been found useful in checking through the Miscellanea.

92 For instance, N. 5015, f. 1-36 of the Instrumenta Miscellanea contains the dispatches of Luca de Tollentis and Lionello Cheregato already published by S. Ljubic (see note 85). The documents in this collection are numbered consecutively. An index of seventy-two volumes in the Index Room gives summaries of the documents and arranges them chronologically. A more recent index N. 1056 arranges the documents by dioceses. For additional information on this series, consult U. Berliere, ‘Inventaire des Instrumenta Miscellanea des Archives Vaticanes au point de vue de nos anciens diocèses’, Bulletin de l'Institut Historique Beige de Rome IV (1924), 5-162; A. Mercati, ‘Dagli Instrumenta Miscellanea dell'Archivio Segreto Vaticano’, Quellen und Forschungen aus italianischen Archiven und Bibliotheken XXVII (1936-1937), 135-177; and R. Dodd, ‘Vatican Archives: Instrumenta Miscellanea. Documents of Irish Interest’, Archivum Hibemicum XIX (1956), 135-140.

93 Acta Miscellanea nos. 2 and 5 are copies of Acta Camerarii I (1489-1503). Two additional volumes cover our period, namely, Acta Miscellanea 3 (1492-1513) and 6 (1492-1523). See ‘Inventario del Fondo Concistoriale’, in Sussidi (Studi e Testi 45), pp. 203-219. L. von Pastor, in his Storia dei Papi dallafine del Medio Evo, new Italian ed. by A. Mercati, I (Rome, 1931), 807-811, points out that he was one of the first to discover these early volumes.

94 This is cod. c.1176 entitled Cifre antiche e moderne ad uso delle nunziature dal sec. XIV al XVIII in sillabe e in parole. For a detailed description of the contents of the Archivum Arcis, see Inventari nos. 1001-1012 in the Index Room.

95 See the Inventario dell'Archivio Camerale compiled by Mons. P. Guidi in the Index Room; E. Göller, ‘Untersuchungen über das Inventar des Finanzarchivs der Renaissancepäpste (1447-1521)’, in Miscellanea F. Ehrle v (Rome, 1924, Studi e Testi 41), 227 ff.; and Sussidi (Studi e Testi 45), pp. 193-201. For the portions still deposited in the Archivio di Stato in Rome, containing records mostly from the sixteenth century onwards, consult Lodolini, A., L'Archivio di Stato di Roma e l'Archivio del Regno d'Italia. Indice generate, storico, descrittive edanalitico (Rome, 1932)Google Scholar.

96 Pressure of time prevented me from undertaking even a rapid search in these private collections, the indices of many of which can be found in the Index Room. The Vatican Library has published catalogues of several of these collections and manuscript inventories of others are also available. Many of the latter can be consulted on microfilm at the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library in St. Louis. See C.J. Ermatinger, ‘Catalogues in the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library at Saint Louis University’, Manuscripta I (1957), 5-21, 89-101. Lists of manuscript and published catalogues of manuscript collections to be found in archives and libraries at the Vatican and elsewhere have been published by P. O. Kristeller, ‘Latin Manuscript Books before 1600: a Bibliography of the Printed Catalogues of Extant Collections’, Traditio VI (1948), 227-317, and ‘Latin Manuscript Books before 1600. Part II: A Tentative List of Unpublished Inventories of Imperfectly Catalogued Extant Collections’, Traditio IX (1953), 393-418. By this time it is common knowledge that many important collections of manuscripts from the Vatican Library can be consulted on microfilm in St. Louis. See ‘A Checklist of Vatican Manuscript Codices Available for Consultation at the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library at Saint Louis University’, Manuscripta I (1957), 27-44, 104-117, 159-174; II (1958), 41-49, 84-99, 167-181; III (1959), 38-46, 89-99.

97 Pastor made frequent use of these dispatches, particularly those of the Archivi di Stato in Milan, Mantua, and Modena. He published many important dispatches along with a considerable number of other documents both in his Storia and in the first and only volume of a projected multivolume publication of papal documents; i.e., Ungedruckte Akten zur Geschichte derPapste vomehmlich im XV., XVI. und XVII. Jahrhundert (Freiburg, 1904). This volume covers the period 1376-1464. Some other important collections of church documents which include diplomatic papers are: A. Theiner, Codex diplomaticus dominii temporalis S. Sedis (Rome, 1861-1862); Raynald, O., Annales ecdesiastici, accedunt notae chronologicae, criticae … auctore I. D. Mansi (Lucca, 1747-1756)Google Scholar; Mansi, G. D., Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, rev. ed. by Martin, J. B. and Petit, L. (Paris, 1901-1924)Google Scholar; and Bliss, W. H. et al., Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland (London, 1893-1933)Google Scholar.

98 Actually the Aragonese section of the archives had undergone considerable losses during the turmoils of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Naples. On the recent wartime losses of the archives, consult I. Mazzoleni, ‘Fond per la storia dell'epoca aragonese esistenti nell'Archivio di Stato di Napoli’, Archivio storico per le provincie napoletane, newser., XXXIII (1952), 125-154; XXXIV (1953), 351-373.

99 R . Moscati, ‘Ricerche sugli Atti superstiti della Cancelleria Napolitana di Alfonso d'Aragona’, Rivista storica italiana LXV (1953), 540-552.

100 On the holdings of the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, consult E. Gonzales-Hurtebise, Guía historico-descriptiva del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón en Barcelona (Madrid, 1920). Other historical notes on these archives can be found in J. E. Martinez Ferrando, ‘Aportación de datos acerca del Archivo Real de Barcelona y sus archiveros durante los reinados de Juan II y de Fernando el Católico’, Revista de Archivos Bihliotecas y Museos LXIII (1957), 111-156. For general guides on Spanish depositories of documents dealing with the history of the Italian states, see Carini, J., Gli archivi e le biblioteche di Spagna in rapporto alia storia d'ltalia in generate e di Sicilia in particolare (Palermo, 1884-1897)Google Scholar; and E. Dupré Theseider, ‘Note sopra alcuni archivi di Spagna in ordine alia storia d'ltalia’, Accademie e biblioteche d'ltalia I (1927), 51-65.

101 The periods covered by these series are as follows: Secretorum, Regs. 2691-2700 (1419-1458); Curia, Regs. 2641-2662 (1416-1458); Litterarum et Albaranorum, Reg. 2940 (1416-1453). There is also a register no. 2939 (1440-1453) oilnstmctionum. Many of these documents have been published recently in the appendices of A. F. C. Ryder's ‘La politica italiana di Alfonso d'Aragona (1442-1458)’, Archivio storico per le provincie napoletane, new ser., XXXVIII (1958), 43-106; XXXIX (1959), 235-294. See also C. Minieri Riccio, ‘Alcuni fatti di Alfonso I d'Aragona dal 15 aprile 1437 al 31 maggio 1458’, ibid., VI (1881), 1-56, 231-258, 411-461.

102 For John II: Curiae sigilli secreti, Regs. 3303-3305 (1455-1458); Curiae, Regs. 3406-3416 (1458-1479); Diversorum sigilli secreti, Regs. 3393-3394 (1474-1478). For Ferdinand II: Curiae, Regs. 3599-3604 (1479-1516); Curiae sigilli secreti, Regs. 3605-3614 (1479-1503); Diversorum sigilli secreti, Regs. 3561-3585 (1479-1515); Itinerum (Romae et Italiae), Reg. 3685 (1492-1498). Cartas reales diplomaticas: for Alfonso, Legajos (bundles) nos. 4-18 (1416-1458); John II, Leg. 1-3 (1459-1472); Ferdinand II, Leg. 1-2. A great number of Aragonese diplomatic documents for our period have already been published in such collections as Prospero, Manuel, and Francisco Bofarull, Colleción de documentos inéditos del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón (Barcelona, 1847-1910), especially vols. 14-26 entitled, Levantamento y guerra de Cataluña en tiempo de Juan II (the archives are preparing for publication a chronological index with summaries of the documents in this collection, the first volume of which appeared in 1958); Documentos relativos a los reinos de Navarra, Costilla y Aragón durante la segunda mitad del sigh XV, vols. 40-41 of the Colleción de documentos ineditos para la Historia de España (Madrid, 1842-1895) (on this collection see J. Paz, Catalogo de la Colleción de documentos para la Historia de España, Madrid, 1930-1931); Calendar of Letters, Despatches, and State Papers relating to the Negotiations between England and Spain, preserved in the Archives of Simancas and Elsewhere … vol. 1, Henry VII, 1485-1509, ed. G. A. Bergenroth (London, 1862); de la Torre, A., Documentos sobre relaciones internacionales de los Reyes Catblicos [1479-1491] (Barcelona, 1949-1951)Google Scholar, in which the important diplomatic documents for the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella are being published in their entirety or in summary (vol. IV is in the press); A. de la Torre y L. Suarez Fernandez, Documentos referentes a las relaciones con Portugal durante il reinado de los Reyes Catblicos (Valladolid, 1958-1960); Lopez, O. J., Repertorio diplomatico español. Indice de los tractados ajustados por España (1125-193;) y de otros documentos internacionales (Madrid, 1944)Google Scholar. In addition, the numerous publications on the Aragonese monarchy of the fifteenth century by J. Calmette and J. Vicens Vives contain a great number of diplomatic documents, especially Calmette's Louis XI, Jean II et la révolution Catalane (1461-1473) (Toulouse, 1903), and Vicens Vives’ Fernando el Católico, Principe de Aragón, Rey de Sicilia, 1458-1478 (Madrid, 1952).

103 See Rosell, F. J. M., Regesta de letras pontificias del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, sección Cancilleria Real (pergaminos) (Madrid, 1948)Google Scholar.

104 For a general guide, consult Alcócer, M., Archivo General de Simancas. Guía del investigador (Valladolid, 1923)Google Scholar. Other published guides useful for our period are: Catálogo II, Secretaría de Estado. Capitulaciones con la Casa de Austria y papeles de las negociaciones de Alemania, Sajonia, Polonia, Prusia, y Hatnburgo (1403-1726), 2d ed. by J. Paz (Madrid, 1942); Catálogo IV, Secretaría de Estado. Capitulaciones con Francia y negociaciones diplomáticas de los embajadores de España en aquella corte [1265-1714], ed. J. Paz (Madrid, 1914); Catdlogo X, Libros de copias de documentos sacadospor orden de Felippe II, ed. R. Magdaleno (Valladolid, 1927); Catálogo XIV, Inventario razonado de los papeles de Estado de la negociación de Roma y materias ecclesiasticas años 1381 h 1700 (Valladolid, 1926); Catálogo XVII, Secretaría de Estado. Documentos relativos a Inglaterra (1254-1834), ed. J. Paz and R. Magdaleno (Madrid, 1947); Catálogo XIX, Papeles de Estado. Sicilia. Vireinato Español y negociación de Malta, ed. R. Magdaleno (Madrid, 1951); Catálogo V, Patronato Real (834-1851), ed. A. P. Cantero (Valladolid, 1949). Two special Spanish collections that also contain important diplomatic documents for the second half of the fifteenth century are the Colleción Salazar, located in the library of the Royal Academy of History in Madrid, and the archives of the Spanish embassy to the Holy See, now deposited in the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid. On the contents of these collections, consult Indice de la Colleción de Don Luis de Salazar y Castro formado por Antonio de Vargas, Zufiiga y Montero de Espinosa y Baltasar Cuastero y Huerta, vol. 1 (590-1516) (Madrid, 1949); Archivo de la Embajada de España de la Santa Sede, ed. L. Serrano and J. M. Pou y Marti (Rome, 1915-1935); and M. Pou y Marti, ‘Los Archivos de la Embajada de Espana cerca de la Santa Sede', Miscellanea archivistica Angelo Mercati (Vatican City, 1952), pp. 297-311. (I was not able to visit either Simancas or Madrid.)

105 I am indebted to Professor Antonio de la Torre for his advice on this and other questions dealing with Spanish diplomatic documents. On the sources used by Zurita, see two articles by X. De Salas Bosch, ‘Fuentes de Zurita. Inventarios del fondo documental que perteneció a Gerónimo Zurita’, Revista Universidad de Zaragoza (1940), pp. 5-15; and ‘Los inventarios de la “Alacena de Zurita” ‘, Boletin de la Real Academia de Buenas Letras de Barcelona XVII (1944), 1-77.

106 Three registers of the Exterorum containing Ferrante's correspondence with other rulers and states for the period 1467-1494 were published by Trinchera, F., Codice diplomatic aragonese (Naples, 1866-1874)Google Scholar. A fourth register (1458-1460), deposited at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (Fonds Espagnol, N. 113), was published by Messer, A., Le Codice Aragonese. Contribution a l'histoire des Aragonais de Naples (Paris, 1912)Google Scholar. On this codex, see also D. Giampietro, ‘Un registro aragonese nella Biblioteca Nazionale di Parigi’, Archiuio storico napoletano IX (1884), 59-90, 256-285, 453-479, 638-659. Texts and summaries of numerous Neapolitan diplomatic documents for this period have been published by N. Barone, ‘Notizie storiche raccolte dai Registri Curiae della Cancelleria Aragonese’, Archivio storico napoletano XIII (1888), 745-771; XIV (1889), 5-16, 177-203, 397-409; XV (1890), 209-232, 452-471, 703-723; Volpicella, L., Regis Ferdinandi primi Instructionum liber (Naples, 1916)Google Scholar; and I. Mazzoleni, Regesto della Cancelleria Aragonese di Napoli (Naples, 1951, Ministero dell'Interno, Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato VII). Numerous other documents have appeared in appendices of other publications, most of which are cited in E. Pontieri, Per la storia del regno di Ferrante I d'Aragona, re di Napoli (Naples, 1947).

107 On the holdings of the Archivio di Stato in Mantua, consult L'Archivio Gonzaga di Mantova, vol. I compiled by P. Torelli; vol. II, entitled, La corrispondenza familiare, amministrativa e diplomatica dei Gonzaga, compiled by A. Luzio (Verona, 1920-1922). Luzio's long introduction is indispensable for the study of Gonzaga diplomacy. The more recent monograph by R. Quazza, La diplomazia Gonzaghesca (Milan, 1941), deals with Gonzaga diplomacy from the sixteenth century onwards.

108 Luzio, op. cit., pp. 77 ff.; Mattingly, Renaissance Diplomacy, p. 71.

109 Luzio, op. cit., pp. 76-77.

110 Ibid., p. 76.

111 Buste 423-425 contain the keys to ciphers used from 1395 to 1702.

112 It would be too long to list here the number of buste even for the aforementioned states. Luzio's excellent inventory gives detailed descriptions of each series together with the number of buste and the corresponding years. Additional detailed information can also be found in the manuscript analytical inventory of several volumes compiled by S. Davari and available at the archives.

113 In addition to the Corte Cesarea series, the following series contain diplomatic material referring to the German states: Diete Imperiali, Corti Elettorali, Fiandre, Innsbruck e Graz, Trento, and Danimarca.

114 The Lettere Originali form the series F. II. 6 of the archives, of which buste 2095-2109 cover the period 1451-1494. Mantuan ambassadors were required, at least from the earlysixteenth century, to return to the chancery all the official documents and papers pertaining to their missions, but this practice was followed sporadically even earlier (Torelli, op. cit., p. LXXVII).

115 Minute della Cancelleria, Series F. II. 7, buste 2186-2190 (1449-1494).

116 Copialettere dei Gonzaga, Series F. II. 9, Misti, Buste 2882-2906 (1444-1496); Riservati, Busta 2961 (1492-1495). There is also a series of copialettere for individual members of the Gonzaga family of which Busta 2991 (1491-1494), for Isabella d'Este Gonzaga, concerns our period.

117 Lettere ai Gonzaga da Mantova e Paesi dello Stato, Ser. F. II. 8 is a huge collection of which Buste 2390 (1400-1459), 2391 (1400-1457), and 2392-2446 (1458-1494) cover our period. See Luzio, op. cit., pp. 45-46 on the external documents that can be found in this series.

118 Except for the first-named series, which is described by Luzio, ample details are given by Torelli.

119 See Luzio, op. cit., pp. 41-42. Both Luzio and Torelli give extensive bibliographies of the publications made from the documents of these archives. Two very recent studies have once again demonstrated the importance of the Gonzaga documents for the diplomatic history of the fifteenth century: B. Benedini, ‘La mancata partecipazione del Marchese di Mantova alia guerra nel Reame di Napoli (1460)’, in Studi in onore di Riccardo Filangieri II (Naples, 1959?), 41-72; and G. Coniglio, ‘La partecipazione del Regno di Napoli alia Guerra di Ferrara (1482-1484)’, Partenope (1961), pp. 53-74, both of which print many documents. There are also two recent doctoral dissertations: P. Mattioli, Le relazioni tra Mantova e Urbino ai tempi di Federico da Montefeltro, 1444-1482 (Tesi di laurea, Universitá di Urbino, 1957-1958, supervised by Prof. G. Franceschini); and A. Anghinoni, La Corte Pontificia al tempo di Alessandro VI secondo i dispacci degli ambasciatori mantovani dal 1492 al 1503 (Tesi di laurea, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, 1952-1953, supervised by Prof. G. Soranzo).

120 The Commentaries of Pius II, tr. F. A. Gragg with introduction and notes by L. C. Gabel (Smith College Studies in History XXX, 1947), v, 300.

121 A three-volume guide of the Archivio di Stato di Modena is being prepared, the first volume of which has already appeared: Archivio di Stato di Modena. Archivio Segreto Estense. Inventario. Sezione Casa e Stato (Rome, 1953). The volume on the diplomatic collection has not been published. An incomplete summary inventory of the diplomatic series was published by G. Ognibene, ‘Le relazioni della Casa d'Este coll'estero’, Atti e memorie della R. Deputazione di Storia Patriaper le Provincie Modenesi, ser. V, III (1903), 232-319. Additional information on some documents useful for the study of Estense diplomacy can be found in U. Dallari's article, ‘Inventario sommario dei documenti della Cancelleria ducale estense (sez. generale) nell'Archivio di Stato di Modena’, ibid., ser. VII, IV (1927), 158-275. A manuscript catalogue of 6 vols.(nos. 12-17) a t the archives lists chronologically the ambassadors and correspondents in the various series and gives valuable information about each diplomatic mission. This catalogue, however, is not always accurate or complete, particularly because the series remains in a confused state. Sometimes the number of buste and corresponding years do not agree. For a brief historical sketch of the Estense chancery, see F. Valenti, ‘Note storiche sulla Cancelleria degli Estensi a Ferrara dalle origini alia meta del sec. XVI’, Bollettino dell'Archivio paleografico italiano, new ser., II-III (1956-1957), 357-365.

122 Registri di Lettere: Regs. 1-937 (1443-1452), 2-938 (1445-1449 and 1469-1471), 3-939 (1471-1475). 4-940 (1476), 5-941 (1478), 6-942 (1479). 7-943 (1481), 8-944 (1482), 9-945 (1482-1483), 10-946 (1486-1488), 11-947 (1493-1496); Minutario Cronohgico, Buste 1-3 (1403-1493), 4 (1494-1500 and undated documents of the fifteenth century). The buste of the Minute di Lettere Ducali a Principi e Signorie are divided in two series according to the location of the addressees within or outside of the Italian peninsula. This series is in a state of confusion and the buste are not dated; consequently the manuscript catalogues in the archives are not reliable. A rapid inspection of few of the buste revealed that they contain minute of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The minute for the second half of the fifteenth century will be collected soon prior to microfilming and we shall then be able to determine the exact chronology.

123 Catalogue N. 18 at the archives describes in detail the contents of this series. Practically all the Italian powers are represented. Among the foreign states, the sections devoted to France, Germany, Spain, Hungary and Bohemia, and the Levant contain correspondence for our period.

124 The archives have a card catalogue for the parchments: Cassette 25-26 (1444-1500). The Cartacei are filed in Buste 1-2 (806-1598). Finally there is one busta that contains Patti e convenzioni commerciali tra Ferrara e Venezia dal 1191 al 1494.

125 Avvisi e Notizie dall'Estero, busta 5157-101 (1446-1496), the only one for this period. Sommari e Copie di Lettere—Carteggio Diplomatico Estero, B. 5301-101 (965-1487), and B. 5302-101 (1488-1500). The copies of letters become more numerous during the War of Ferrara. Cifre con Principi Estensi ed Esteri, B. 2 (XV-XVIII centuries), and Cifre con Ambasciatori e Agenti Estensi all'Estero, B. 4 (XV century).

126 Catalogue N. 23 at the archives gives a detailed description of this collection.

127 The titles of the four series are: I. Istruzioni ad Oratori Esteri in Ferrara e Modena e Lettere dei Medesimi (Italia), 7 buste; 2. Minute di Lettere Ducali ad Oratori Esteri (Italia) ,3 buste; 3. Istruzioni ad Oratori Esteri e Lettere dei Medesimi (fuori d'ltalia), 16 buste; 4. Minute di Lettere Ducali ad Oratori Esteri (fuori d'ltalia), 3 buste. The buste are not dated and the documents are not filed chronologically, but it is believed that some of these papers date from the last half of the fifteenth century. The documents for our period will be collected soon prior to microfilming.

128 On the composition of the Piccolomini and Sienese entourage at the court of Pius II, see Pastor, Storia, II, 92-93.

129 The Archivio di Stato in Siena has been one of the most active in Italy in the publication of guides. There is a general guide: Ministero dell'Interno, Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato, V-VI: Archivio di Stato di Siena. Guida. Inventario dell'Archivio di Stato (Rome, 1951). Other guides will be cited below. An examination of these guides, together with useful notes on the Sienese archives, has been published by W. M. Bowsky, ‘The Sienese Archive and the Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato’, Manuscripta V (1961), 67-77. The archives also have the usual complement of manuscript inventories.

130 Concistoro: Carteggio, Regs. 1965-2074 (1449-1495); Copiari, Reg. 1771 (1436-1483), the only register for our period. Copialettere: Regs. 1672-1704 (1451-1494); Legazioni e Commissarie: the great variety of papers in this series precludes a summary list; detailed descriptions of these documents are given in the guide cited at the end of this note. Cifrari e Lettere Cifrate, Filza 2308 (XIV-XVI centuries); Deliberazioni, Regs. 504-769 (1450-1494); Memoriali, Regs. 1414-1447 (1454-1494). See Ministero dell'Interno, Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato, x. Archivio di Stato di Siena. Archivio del Concistoro del Comune di Siena. Inventario (Rome, 1952), with an introduction on the development and composition of the Concistoro by G. Cecchini.

131 Balia: Carteggio, Regs. 488-551 (1455-1494); Copialettere, Regs. 396-412 (1455- 1493); Deliberazioni, Regs. 1-39 (1455-1494); Lupinari, Regs. 257-259 (1480-1495). See Ministero dell'Interno, Publicazioni degli Archivi di Stato, XXVI. Archivio di Stato di Siena. Archivio di Balia. Inventario (Rome, 1957) with an introduction on the evolution of the Balia by G. Prunai and S. De’ Colli.

132 See Inventario dell'Archivio di Stato, I, 122-171.

133 Consult G. B. Mannucci, ‘Documenti e carte d'archivio nella Biblioteca Piccolomini a Pienza’, Bollettino senese di storiapatria XLVIII (1941), 294-295.

134 The instructions and reports of Genoese ambassadors from 1494 to 1814 are being published by the Istituto Storico Italiano per l'Età Modema e Contemporanea in a projected twelve-volume edition under the editorship of its president, Senator Professor R. Ciasca. The first five volumes have appeared, Istruzioni e relazioni degli ambasciatori genovesi. Spagna, 1494-1721 (Rome, 1951-1957). Vol. VI covering the period 1722-1802 is in the press. To date scholars have been concerned mostly with Genoese diplomacy after 1500 as it is evidenced in two publications by the noted Genoese historian, Vito Vitale, Diplomatics e consoli delta Republica di Genova (1500-1814) (Genoa, 1934, Atti della Società Ligure di Storia Patria LXIII), and La diplomazia genovese (Milan, 1941). The few publications dealing with our period include G. Da Fieno, Della legazione a Roma di Lazzaro Doria nel 1485 (Sampiedarena, 1863), and E. Pandiani, ‘Notizie intorno a tre ambascerie genovesi nel sec. XV’, Giornale storico e letterario della Liguria v (1904), 262 ff.

135 vitale, Diplomatici e consoli, pp. IX-X; Mattingly, Renaissance Diplomacy, pp. 67-68,

136 Instructiones et Relationes: Busta 2707A (1396-1464); Istruzioni e Relazioni di Ministri, Filze 2707B (1433-1499), and 2707G (148i?-1489?); Litterarum, Regs. 1793-1812 (1449-1495); Lettere di Principi alia Republica: in this series the buste are divided according to the place of origin of the correspondence and it would be too long to enumerate them. Suffice it to say that important letters have been found in Buste 4/2780, 10/2786, 16/2792-17/2793, 21/2797, and 22B/2798B. The archives have an inventory of this series. Bolle e Brevi di Sommi Pontefici, 964-1598. For the Trattati, see P. Lisciandrelli, Trattati e negoziazioni politiche delta Republica di Genova (958-1797). Regesti (Genoa,1960, Atti della Societa Ligure di Storia Patria, Nuova Serie, 1). For the cipher keys, see G. Costamagna, ‘Scritture segrete e cifrari della Cancelleria della Serenissima Republica’, Bollettino ligustico (1957), pp. 1-9. A few diplomatic documents can also be found in the series Diversorum Communis Ianue, Filze 21/3041-51/3070 (1454-1494). Other diplomatic series such as Lettere Ministri, Lettere Consoli, and Relazioni di Ministri begin in the following century. For a list of the various diplomatic collections in the Genoese archives, consult Vitale, Diplomatici e consoli, pp. XI-XII.

137 I am indebted to Prof. Morozzo della Rocca for drawing my attention to the Archivio di San Giorgio. Unfortunately these archives were then (January 1960) and still are closed to the public pending the completion of work against termites. In the meantime it has not been possible to ascertain the presence of diplomatic documents by consulting the summary description of this collection published by M. Chiaudano and G. Costamagna, ‘VArchivio storico del Banco di San Giorgio di Genova (1386-1845)’, Archivi storici delle aziende di credito 1 (1956), 115-135

138 See Shay, loc. cit., p . 125.

139 Bianchi, N., Le materie politiche relative all'Estero degli Archivi di Stato piemontesi (Bologna, 1876), pp. 29–30 Google Scholar. This is the best printed guide for the diplomatic documents at these archives, although it is now outdated and incomplete in some respects. See also M. Hippeau, ‘Inventaire des pièces relatives aux négociations entre la cour de Turin et la cour de France (1304-1796)’, Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires, ser. II, II (1865), 456 ff.; and two publications by M. Armingaud, ‘Documents relatifs a 1'histoire de France recueillis dans les Archives de Turin’, Revue de Sociétés savantes, ser. VI, V (1877), 126-160, and La Maison de Savoie et les Archives de Turin (Turin, 1877).

140 For the second half of the fifteenth century, the following sections of the series mentioned are the most useful. Negoziazioni: Francia, Svizzeri, and the Vallesani; Corti Straniere: Francia and Spagna; Lettere dei Ministri: Francia; Lettere dei Principi di Savoia: those of the dukes and regents; Trattati: Traités anciens avec la France, les Dauphins, Trattati con gli Svizzeri e con i Vallesani, Trattati Diversi.

141 The dispatches of the Milanese ambassadors and agents at the court of the dukes of Savoy in the Archivio di Stato in Milan are in Potenze Estere, Savoia, Cartelle 478-504 (1450-1495), 1060 (1469-1483), 1258 (1484-1496), and 512-513 [senza data, but contain mostly documents for our period). Other documents pertaining to Savoy can also be found in the Registri Ducali and Registri delle Missive. It may be said, therefore, that the place to study the diplomatic history of Savoy-Piedmont for the second half of the Quattrocento is Milan and not Turin.

142 The Archivio di Stato in both Lucca and Parma has published excellent guides and catalogues. For Lucca, see Bongi, S., Inventario del R. Archivio di Stato in Lucca (Lucca, 1872-1888)Google Scholar. A fifth volume (Pescia, 1934) was compiled by E. Lazzareschi, whose article, ‘Inventari manoscritti e a stampa del R. Archivio di Stato in Lucca’, Notizie degli Archivi di Stato II (1942), 85-93, is also very useful. In addition, these archives have published a multivolume summary of the Carteggio degli Anziani, of which vol. IV (Lucca, 1907) and v (Pescia, 1943), edited by L. Fumi and E. Lazzareschi respectively, deal with the period 1430-1492. For Parma, see Drei, G. D., L'Archivio di Stato di Parma. Indice generate, storico, descrittivo ed analitico (Rome, 1941)Google Scholar. A summary description of the Archivio Bentivoglio, now deposited in the Biblioteca Ariostea of Ferrara, was published by the late C. M. Ady, ‘The Archivio Bentivoglio at Ferrara’, English Historical Review LXIV (1949), 353-359.

143 Mattingly, loc. cit., 436-437.

144 Most of the diplomatic records of the French monarchy for the second half of the fifteenth century are deposited in the Bibliothèque Nationale. The manuscript collection of Abbé Le Grand, Fonds français 6963-6990, contains diplomatic papers of all types. Instructions to ambassadors are located in Fonds fr. 2902, 2907, 2909, 3884, 9682, 4054, and in the register of Pierre Doriole, Fonds fr. 10187. Copies of treaties are included in Fonds fr. 2880, 3881, 3883, 4031, 17293, and 17856. A great number of these documents have been published by Lenglet du Fresnay, N., Mémoires de Messire Philippe de Commines (Paris, 1747)Google Scholar; Lettenhove, K. De, Lettres et négotiations de Philippe de Commines (Bruxelles, 1867-1874)Google Scholar. For the correspondence of the kings, see du Fresne Beaucourt, G., Histoire de Charles VII (Paris, 1881-1891)Google Scholar; Vaesen, J. and Charavay, E., Lettres de Louis XI (Paris, 1883-1909)Google Scholar; and Pelicier, P. and De Mandrot, B., Lettres de Charles VIII (Paris, 1898-1904)Google Scholar. For England, see the Calendar of State Papers for various countries; T. Rymer, Foedera (La Haye, 1739-1745); Stevenson, J., Letters and Papers Illustrative of the Wars of the English in France during the Reign of Henry VI (London, 1861-1864)Google Scholar; and Gairdner, J., Letters and Papers Illustrative of the Reigns of Richard III and Henry VII (London, 1861-1863)Google Scholar. For the empire, consult three volumes by A. Bachmann in the “Pontes rerum austriacarum, 2d section: vol. XLII, Urkunden und Aktenstücke zur österreichischen Geschichte im Zeitalter Kaiser Priedrichs III. und König Georgs von Böhmen (1440-1471) (Vienna, 1879); vol. XLIV, Briefe und Akten zur österreichisch-deutschen Geschichte im Zeitalter Kaiser Priedrichs III. (Vienna, 1885); vol. XLVI, Urkundliche Nachträge zur österreichisch-deutschen Geschichte im Zeitalter Kaiser Priedrichs III. (Vienna, 1892); and three publications by J. Chmel, Regesta chronologico-diplomatica Friderici 111. Romanorum Imperatoris (Regis iv) (Vienna, 183 8-1840); Materialen zur österreichischen Geschichte (Beiträge zur Geschichte Konig Friedrich IV) (Vienna, 1837-1840);and Urkunden, Briefe, und Actenstücke zur Geschichte Maximilians I und seiner Zeit (Stuttgart, 1845). I am indebted to Prof. P. M. Kendall for information on French and English diplomatic documents.

145 I wish to express my deep appreciation to Dr. Elio Califano, director of the Centro Microfotografico degli Archivi di Stato Italiani in Rome, for his invaluable cooperation in the execution of the microfdming project.