The Order of St John and the Holy See : a study in diplomacy through the career of ambassador Fra Marcello Sacchetti, 1682-1720

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of the ambassador of the Order of St John to the Holy See through the career of Ambassador Fra Marcello Sacchetti. Divided in ten chapters, it probes into the various aspects that this role demanded. The first chapter serves to present the methodology adopted and to put the rest of the dissertation in a historical and historiographic foundation. Chapter 2 analyses the evolution of diplomacy and examines the perspective of various theorists in their pursuit for the qualities that an ambassador should have. Chapter 3 then narrows the discourse down to the diplomacy of the Order of St John and explores the roles of receiver and procurator-general, two roles that directly or indirectly, were also a means for the Order of St John for maintaining a presence outside the convent in Malta. This is followed by an in-depth study of the nature of the issues that the ambassador faced daily, and how he used his wiles, contacts, friends and relations in trying to obtain a favourable outcome for the Order. Thus, areas covering financial issues, challenges of the Order’s jurisdiction by church authorities, wars, both against the Ottoman Empire and inter-Christian wars, corsairing and slavery are covered by appealing to case-studies and supported by secondary sources. On a different tack, Chapter 8 dealt more with the manner rather than the matter of early modern diplomacy, thus it examines patronage and the Order of St John, which was both a giver and receiver of patronage. Patronage was also linked with the arts, so Chapter 9 follows with the ambassador’s role as a procurer of art for the Order of St John. This phenomenon did neither start nor stop with Fra Marcello Sacchetti, showing that by his time it was integrated with his role. Coming from a family with notable patrons of the arts, Fra Marcello Sacchetti might have had some advantage in this area over his predecessors. This chapter deals also with religious issues, showing the ambassador as representing the Grand Master as head of a religious institution rather than a prince of a realm. The last chapter strives to paint a picture of the man behind the role. It therefore concentrates more on the material aspect by focusing on Fra Marcello Sacchetti’s possessions, using his personal inventory and that drawn up by his family. Conclusions are then drawn, showing how aspects of the history of the Order are revealed through the study of its diplomacy.