Dynasty and Diplomacy in the Court of Savoy: Political Culture and the Thirty Years' War (Cambridge Studies in Italian History and Culture)

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.