Papal Policy and the English Crown, 1563-1565: The Bertano Correspondence
Between September 1563 and December 1565 there occurred a clandestine correspondence designed to secure England's adherence to the decrees of the Council of Trent and readmission into the Roman confession. The principal agent in this network was Gurone Bertano, a papal diplomat with a long asso...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1992
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1992, Volume: 23, Issue: 4, Pages: 643-659 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
Non-electronic |
| Summary: | Between September 1563 and December 1565 there occurred a clandestine correspondence designed to secure England's adherence to the decrees of the Council of Trent and readmission into the Roman confession. The principal agent in this network was Gurone Bertano, a papal diplomat with a long association with England; most of the actual letters were directed to Anthony Bryskett (Antonio Bruschetto), an Italian resident in England with close connections to Sir William Cecil and the court. The course of this correspondence illustrates not only the creative and irenic policies of Pope Pius IV towards the young Queen Elizabeth but also the cynical, self-serving ambitions of Lord Robert Dudley. The intentions of the Bryskett family - not only Antonio was involved in the network but also his sons Lodowick and Sebastian - remain unclear but probably reflect a sincere desire for religious reconciliation as well as court influence. Cecil's primary purpose in encouraging this secret diplomacy was evidently to delay as long as possible a papal deposition of the queen or Catholic reaction to the religious settlement. The queen herself emerges as perhaps the most subtle player, giving hope that she might embrace the Roman Church while sustaining her own independent religious and political policies. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2541725 |