Storiografi, diplomatici e mitografici secenteschi tra Italia e Portogallo

Abstract

This article examines the exchange that took place between Portugal and the Italian intellectual community during the 17th century from an historiographical, political and literary viewpoint. In particular, it investigates Italy’s response to the asymmetry that had traditionally characterized Portugal as peripheral nation on the one hand and empire on the other. An analysis is made of Italian historiographical works connected with the ‘union’ and the ‘disunion’ of Portugal with respect to Castile between 1580 and 1640, including the monographs of Girolamo Conestagio and Giambattista Birago Avogadro, as well as travel writings, historical and political essays (Bentivoglio, Botero, Venetian ambassadors, Laffi, Leti, Siri and Buonfiglio Costanzo) and literary works (Boccalini, Tassoni, Salvetti and Battista). Lastly, a detailed analysis is presented of the diplomatic confrontation between Fulvio Testi and F.M. de Melo, together with a look at how Sebastianism was received in Italy, focusing on the “faux Sébastien” and such renowned intellectuals as Sarpi, Pallavicino, Spontone, Torsellini and Conestagio, who wrote in verse.