Uczty książąt, kardynałów i ubogich. Edukacyjna rola stołu w podróży włoskiej Andrzeja Batorego (1583-1584)
Feasts of Princes, Cardinals, and the Poor: The Educational Role of the Table in the Italian Journey of Andrzej Batory (1583-1584)

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the significance of the dining table as a space for gaining various kinds of experience in the journey of the royal nephew Andrzej Batory to Rome. At the courts of esteemed dignitaries, Batory assimilated Renaissance Italian dining etiquette and customs, subsequently es-tablishing his own court, based on analogous models. The table served as a platform for diplomatic discourse, enabling the young Batory to fulfil his diplomatic obligations. Engaging in intellectual debates with prominent humanists, notably Marc-Antoine Muret, at the dinner table fostered his intellectual faculties. Moreover, the integration of music and visual arts during the sumptuous banquets attended by Italian cardinals and princes enriched Batory’s artistic sensibilities, while the introduction of novel culinary creations refined his gastronomic taste. Encounters with esteemed religious figures, including Carlo Borromeo, Claudio Acquaviva, and the Oratorian circle, coupled with such devout practices as fasting and almsgiving, as well as studying religious texts at the table, ultimately served to fortify the young Batory’s Catholic faith.

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