Add MS 8552

PIETRO ALDOBRANDINI: Relazione of his embassy to France and of the Treaty of Lyons; 1620. Italian. Copy. The relazione was written in 1620 by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, nephew and Camerlengo of Pope Clement VIII. It comprises the Cardinal's account of the negotiations (1600-1601) between Henry IV of France, Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy and the Cardinal himself as Papal legate relating to the Marquisat of Saluzzo, that concluded with the Treaty of Lyons on 17 Jan. 1601. The relazione circulated anonymously as in the present MS: other anonymous copies in Paris, Bibl. Nat., MSS. Ital. 673 and 674; Rome, Bibl. Naz. Centrale, MS. 538 (with same title as in the present MS.). It was published as La legazione in Francia del Cardinale Pietro Aldobrandino narrata da lui medesimo... (Città di Castello, 1903) by L. Fumi, who had identified Aldobrandini as the author of the relazione in a MS. owned by the Piccolomini-Febei family in Orvieto (present whereabouts unknown). The Treaty of Lyons was published in 1601 as Copia del Trattato della pace tra il Christianissimo e il Duca di Savoia. Concluso in Lione il dì 17 di Gennaro 1601. à Natale (Roma & Ferrara: Stampatore Camerale; Vicenza: Giovanni Pietro Gioannini, 1601), B.L. copy 8032.d.25. On the matter see C. Donati, 'Genova, Piemonte, Stato della Chiesa e Toscana nel Seicento', in Storia della Società Italiana, vol. 11 (Milan, 1989), pp. 370-371; for Cardinal Aldobrandini see DBI, 2 (1960), pp. 107-112, with bibliography. The present MS. is entitled (f. 1) 'Relatione in forma d'Historia della pace di Saluzzo, e suoi negotiati precedenti'. Inc. (f. 2) 'Procurava con ogni studio Papa Clemente Ottavo di introdurre', expl. (f. 293) 'et ridurla in questa picciola historia'. Including the text of the treaty (ff. 265-276v), and of the previous treaty of Paris, 27 Feb. 1600 (ff. 104v-109). Old shelfmark in ink 'Tomo 100' visible through the paper in upper right corner of pasted face of front pastedown. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '62' in pencil in upper left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8563, 8568, 8572, 8625, 8672, and 8807, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 62 (part).

Paper; ff. 293+iii. 264 x 198mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Several Italian hands. Late 17th-early 18th-cent. Italian binding of full vellum.