Dynasty and Diplomacy in the Court of Savoy: Political Culture and the Thirty Years' War

by Toby Osborne

Overview

History has been unkind to the House of Savoy during the Thirty Years' War, viewing it as a powerless puppet of Richelieu and Olivares. By contrast, this book examines the varied and powerful dynastic aspirations of Savoy through the career of its leading ambassador, Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641). Scaglia was a court clan member who used diplomatic service, his expertise in the high arts, and his cosmopolitan network of friends to further Savoy's interests and those of his family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521652681
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/12/2002
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Italian History and Culture
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr Toby Osborne was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and prepared his DPhil thesis under the supervision of Professor Sir John Elliott. He has taught at Durham since 1995. This is his first book.

Table of Contents

List of figures; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Names and dates; Introduction; Part I. Dynastic Power: the House of Savoy and the Scaglia di Verrua: 1. Dynastic power: Savoy and Europe; 2. Power and patronage: the Scaglia di Verrua in the service of Savoy; Part II. The Treaty of Monzón, 1624–7: 3. Savoyard diplomacy: Alessandro Scaglia and the mission to Paris, 1624–6; 4. Pragmatic diplomacy: England, France and Spain; Part III. The War for Mantua and Monferrato, 1628–32: 5. The war, 1628–31; 6. After the war, 1631–2; Part IV. Alessandro Scaglia: Exile and Savoy During the 1630s: 7. Power and patronage: Alessandro Scaglia in exile; 8. The House of Savoy and the Scaglia di Verrua: dynastic instability and civil war, 1632–42; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Professor Osborne has done a splendid job..." Matthew G. C. Tornatore, Truman State University, Sixteenth Century Journal

"...impressive...Osborne has some insightful theories..." Renaissance Quarterly

"...a very useful contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the Savoyard state, its politics, and its diplomacy in the Thirty Years' War..." American Historical Review

"A pioneering book...a masterpiece of organization. Osborne says much and stimulates the reader to think about much more." Bibliotheque d'humanisme et Renaissance

"We can only applaud [this] striking new book. It makes us aware of both what we have missed in recent scholarship and what we can expect in the future from the pen of this talented historian." H-NET

From the Publisher