Beyond Protest

Abstract

Abstract The systematic protests by the nuncio Fabio Chigi against the peace treaties negotiated during the Congress of Westphalia (1643–1649) have long been interpreted as a papal diplomatic failure, at a time when the ideal of Christianity was definitively giving way to a Europe made up of states. This paper seeks to move away from this categorical interpretation of the phenomenon. By studying the correspondence of the nuncios stationed in Madrid, Paris, Brussels and Vienna, the aim is to analyse how the peace of Westphalia was received, and determine whether this reception differs from the protest politics pursued by Fabio Chigi in Münster. It emerges that the nunciatures had varied reactions to the negotiations and the treaties, within fragmented contexts where the peace in Germany was just one of many current events, which were dominated by ongoing conflicts. The primary characteristic of these reactions is that they result from the local activities of each nuncio. By focusing on the variety of reactions, this study offers a polycentric and interconnected understanding of papal diplomacy at the time of the Congress of Westphalia. It aims to provide a better comprehension of the ‚agency‘ of the apostolic nuncios in redefining the diplomatic culture of the Holy See, through their differing receptions, practices and uses of the notion of peace.