Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2005
Abstract
This article examines the diplomatic challenges faced by the king of Naples, Ferrante d'Aragona (1458-1494) and the activity of his ambassadors in meeting those challenges. It identifies Rome, Florence and Milan as the three most important nodes of Ferrante's diplomacy and looks in detail at the activity of the ambassadors who served in these postings. In the area of diplomatic praxis, Ferrante enthusiastically embraced changes pioneered by Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan (1450-1466), including the use of permanent resident ambassadors and diplomatic chanceries. This was very much in keeping with Ferrante's pragmatic approach to statecraft and counters the widely held view of Naples as a state out of step with the innovations of the Renaissance period.