However, the friendship between #Pope and #elephant was short-lived: In June 1516, Hanno fell seriously ill; he could barely breathe and had convulsions. Pope Leo called in his own doctors, who diagnosed angina due to the shortness of breath. The animal was also suffering from constipation, and the doctors decided to treat it with a laxative, which, in accordance with common #earlyModern practice, was enriched with a large amount of gold and administered to the elephant in a high dosage in view of its size. The treatment was ineffective; the animal died on 8 June 1516 and was interred in the Cortile del Belvedere. His skeletal was discovered in 1962 during construction work on the cooling system. In contrary to first assumptions it did not belong to #dinosaur but an elephant. (5/8)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

The #pope affection for his exotic pet manifested itself in various ways:
1) He showed it in occasional public performances in which the #elephant bowed and knelt when called upon, sprayed water around, danced to music and apparently performed all kinds of tricks.
2) This affection is expressed in the stories of spectators who saw the #Pope playing with Hanno on a Sunday when the public was allowed to visit the enclosure and noticed the Pope's devoted clumsiness.
3) Out of concern for Hanno's health, the Pope refused to lend the elephant to relatives elsewhere. (4/8)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Hanno was a white elephant that was gifted to #Pope Leo X upon his election by the Manuel I, king of #Portugal.

However, Hanno was not the first #elephant within #emdiplomacy. We can trace the tradition of sending elephants as diplomatic gifts back to the year 800. It became a regular custom first in the 13th century.

Diplomatic gifts and especially exotic gifts or animals were quite common during the #earlyModern period. They should reflect or even enhance both the giver’s and receiver’s honour and rank.

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672008-035/html

(2/8)

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Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich promoted Ordin-Nashchokin to the rank of ‘conciliar courtier’. Having concluded the Andrusovo armistice with #Poland in 1667, which was beneficial for #Russia, he was granted the rank of boyar and Keeper of the Seal, later on becoming the Head of the Ambassadorial Chancery. Thus, the case of Ordin-Nashchokin who came from provincial gentry and had an extraordinary career was especially important as he received this post due to his personal achievements in the field of #emdiplomacy.

If you want to learn more about the development of #earlyModern Russian #diplomacy, we recommend the article by Maria A. Petrova in the #emdiplomacy handbook:

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672008-014/html

(6/6)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

First in 1656 Ordin-Nashchokin could be traced in another diplomatic occupation. He facilitated negotiations that led to the conclusion of a treaty of an alliance with #Courland and in 1658 the Treaty of Valiesar with #Sweden which left #Russia in the positions of the territories that it had conquered in #Livonia during the #SecondNorthernWar for three years. Moreover, Russia promised not to carry out mass deportations of Lutherans from these territories. Two years later, in 1660, he also participated in the negotiations leading to the peace of #Kardis that turned the Valiesar treaty into a permanent peace. (5/6)

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The extension and intensification of #Russia’s international contacts in the 17th century enhanced the status of the Ambassadorial Chancery that was also in charge of managing a number of cities, monasteries and several territorial chanceries. Since 1667 boyars (members of the highest rank of feudal nobility) rather than ‘conciliar secretaries’ were often appointed to head the missions; as an example, one should name Afanasii Ordin-Nashchokin (1605–1680), our #emdiplomat of the day! (3/3)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

The greater part of this work was done by secretaries and undersecretaries who corresponded in Russian. The Ambassadorial Chancery also had a number of translators and interpreters. These positions were often occupied by subjects of foreign states who entered the Russian service or less often Russians released from captivity.

Moreover, although noble origin was a prerequisite for the appointment of a Russian #emdiplomat, aristocrats often lacked appropriate skills. Therefore, since the middle of the 16th century the head of mission had a deputy drawn from the staff of the Ambassadorial Chancery – an experienced secretary or undersecretary, sometimes employee of other chanceries, who was responsible for negotiation itself & paperwork. A century later ‘conciliar secretaries’ were included into the most representative missions and could even head them. (2/6)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

If you want to read about Brunell, the 159 Swedish soldiers and sailors, see the article by our co-editor (in German):

Dorothée Goetze, Von Seeleuten, Schwiegervätern und anderen Schwierigkeiten: Quellenfunde zum Schicksal schwedischer Matrosen und Soldaten im Großen Nordischen Krieg, In: Stadt - Land - Militär: Militärorganisation - Festungen - Einquartierung - Wahrnehmung. Schweden und seine deutschen Provinzen im 17. Jahrhundert und 18. Jahrhundert, ed. by Dorothée Goetze and Nils Jörn, Hamburg 2022, 233-258 (5/5)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

After the Charles XII’s death in 1719, as many as 159 Swedish soldiers and sailors were transferred to Hesse-Kassel. They were quartered and supplied at the expenses of the landgrave, but resident Brunell had to communicate between the two parts. Moreover, he had to figure out a plan how to bring these soldiers and sailors back to #Sweden as soon as possible. And, last but not least, he had to negotiate with the landgrave on support for his daughter-in-law, the new queen of Sweden.

This example sheds light not only on the very poorly researched connection between military issues and #emdiplomacy as well as how #emdiplomats sometimes were forced to solve exceptional situations. (4/5)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Brunell’s stationing in Hesse-Kassel coincided with the last years of the #GreatNorthernWar. After the Swedish territories in the north of the #HRE had been occupied by #Sweden’s enemies in 1715, a huge number of Swedish soldiers and sailors who either lost contact with their units or were escaped prisoners of war, came to Hessen-Kassel to seek help from the Swedish #resident there and the landgrave, the father-in-law to the Swedish king’s sister, to find a way back to #Sweden or at least Swedish territory. During a five years’ time, the Swedish residents in Hesse-Kassel and especially Brunell were occupied with organising how these people should be handled. Brunell negotiated with the landgrave about passports, money, and provisions. (3/5)

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Two years later, Brunell’s career as a #emdiplomat began with a position as an #embassy secretary in #Berlin where he stayed until 1714. In 1716 he was sent to #Kassel in the same capacity to assist the Swedish resident in the lantgraviate Hesse-Kassel, Axel Sparre. However, he did not arrive in Kassel before June 1717. After Sparre was recalled in 1719, Brunell was promoted to Swedish resident in Hesse-Kassel and ennobled with the name #Örncrona. Three years later, he was recalled. Back in #Stockholm, Örncrona was appointed royal councillor. Only a few years later, in 1728, his diplomatic career continued when he was appointed Swedish #ambassador to #Denmark, where he died in 1734. (2/5)

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However, Chigi felt sorry for himself during his stay in #Westphalia and did not hesitate to tell his employer about the hardships he had to endure. These expressions of suffering were not only testimonies of a #emdiplomat’s feelings but also served a communicative purpose. By reporting on and emphasising his own hardships, the #diplomat was able to present himself as a loyal servant of his master who gave everything to fulfil his mission. This in return could strengthen his relationship with his master, advance his career or lead to other favours. To make his reports more vivid, he even enclosed a slice of pumpernickel in one of his letters.

If you want to read more of Chigi's thoughts, you can find his diary from the #WestphalianPeaceCongress within the Acta Pacis Westphalica series:

https://apw.digitale-sammlungen.de/search/start.html?lang=en

(4/4)

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Papal #emdiplomacy is very unique. One has to differentiate between legations and permanent nunciatures. Papal #diplomats – legates as well as nuncios – differed from other secular diplomats, as it was their task to represent the Apostolic See on a spiritual and a secular level. But just like other diplomats papal envoys’ main tasks were representing, negotiating and of course reporting. As Alexander Koller discusses in his article, the first ever comprehensive summary on the development of papal diplomacy:

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672008-008/html

(3/4)

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