Nuncjusz, królowa i inne damy. Obraz kobiet w korespondencji Antonia Santa Crocego.
Nuncio, Queen and other Dames. The Image of Women in the letters of Antonio Santa Croce

Summary/Abstract: Antonio Santa Croce, titular Archbishop of Seleukia and the Apostolic Nuncio in the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth in the years 1627–1630, is an interesting example of a papal diplomat benefiting from rapid promotion. Undoubtedly, the turning point in his career was the nunciature in the Polish-Lithuanian state, during which he was proclaimed cardinal. He owed his success to both his connections with the Barberini family and the support of the most prominent members of the Warsaw court. It seems that, as he climbed the career ladder in the curia, Santa Croce valued the role of women in politics and tried to maintain cordial relations with them. The authors of the article analysed the nuncio’s correspondence with a view to obtaining information on the women with whom he had contact during his mission in the Polish-Lithuanian state. The authors attempted to reconstruct the formal relations between these women and the apostolic diplomat and to demonstrate their influence on the latter’s career within the curia. Special attention was paid to the figure of Queen Constance of Austria. The article is based on Santa Croce’s handwritten letters gathered in the Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and Archivio di Stato di Roma.

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