The pope, the king and the family: Triple loyalty and diplomatic negotations of the apostolic nuncio Antonio Caetani at the court of Madrid (1611-1618)

Abstract

Antonio Caetani (archbishop of Capua, 1566-1624) was a high exponent of an aristocratic Roman family, whose loyalty to the Spanish crown was well known. He grew up within the patronage network of the Cardinal Nephew Pietro Aldobrandini, and later moved to that of Scipione Borghese. Thereafter, he became servant of three causes: firstly, he pledged obedience to the Pope and to the papal family; secondly, he was vassal of the Spanish crown, and thirdly, he had to serve his own noble House. The Caetani’s “triple loyalty” will clearly be proved during his Nunciature of Spain (1611-1618): it had a significant impact on his diplomatic role at the court of Madrid. This topic might be helpful in highlighting some aspects of diplomacy in early modern Europe, and will shed light on how the interests of individuals and factions were able to consistently influence international politics.

Antonio Caetani (arzobispo de Capua, 1566-1624) fue un importante exponente de una familia de la nobleza romana, cuya lealtad hacia la Monarquía española era bien sabida. Tras ascender al amparo del cardenal nepote Pietro Aldobrandini, pasaría luego a disfrutar de la protección y patronazgo de Scipione Borghese. Caetani se convirtió en un servidor de tres causas: en primer lugar, debía obediencia al Papa y a la familia papal; en segundo lugar, era un vasallo de la Corona española; por último, debía fidelidad a su linaje. La "triple lealtad" de Antonio Caetani se puso a prueba durante su nunciatura en España (1611-1618), afectando considerablemente su rol diplomático en la corte de Madrid. Este artículo contribuye a poner de relieve algunos aspectos de la cultura diplomática en la Europa moderna, esclareciendo de qué manera los intereses de individuos y facciones fueron capaces de influir en las relaciones internacionales