Italians in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Second Half of the Sixteenth Century

Abstract

This article deals with Italian immigration to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the second half of the sixteenth century by trying to disclose what mechanisms were at play in the process of their integration into the host society. It also attempts to highlight localities and fields of activities in which the demand for services provided by Italians was felt most acutely. Integration on the part of the Italians proceeded for the most part by their providing loyal service and establishing patron-client relations with their paymasters, and by staying in touch with one another in a network of mutual assistance. Crucial importance in the process of integration through assimilation within an adopted country must be ascribed to the mixed marriages concluded between Italian men and local women. This study draws heavily on hitherto untapped material contained in the official records of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, conventionally known as the Lithuanian Metrica.