“The year of Our Lord 1492, eighth year of marquesate of Francesco II Gonzaga, fourth Marquis of Mantua, we underwritten Nicola Romeo, Greek Knight from Bari, diplomatic counsellor of His Lordship the Marquis, are ready to begin the nAARration of events that God in His magnificent providence has reserved to our homeland…”
Thus recites the small font incipit of a paper manuscript I found in a copper shrine in Palazzo Ducale, Mantua (Italy). Apart from a strange grammatical feature, perhaps an error (frontpage of the volume contains an inexplicable ancient Italian term “nAARratione”), the old fashioned book attracted me for its content. A leather folder comprising 110 sheets of different sizes (dated to the period between 1492 and 1526), dedicated for the most part to collect the memoirs of Nicola Romeo, a rather important character in Gonzaga Court during the first half of the troubled Italian Wars period (1494-1559).
I have tried to find further information about Nicola Romeo, but few things they know about him are related to his father Alessandro Romeo. He was born in the earliest part of XV century in the Greek community of Bari (Apulia, Italy) and was condottiere of Neapolitan armies during those turbulent years of succession wars among Aragon and Anjou families that followed the death of Giovanna II. After the final victory of Aragonese dynastic line in 1443, Alessandro left Southern Italy and reached Mantua while first Marquis Gianfrancesco Gonzaga was reigning, and where his son Nicola was born on January 20, 1455.
My purpose is taking Nicola Romeo’s memoirs as cue point to make known to you the saga of the dynasty who reigned over Mantua for nearly 400 years till first decade of XVIII century. New ancient (oxymoron) sources will enlighten, from time to time, my ignorance about changes in diplomacy and trade, religion and common life in Mantua and the wider environment of its possessions (Italy, Europe?) and it will be my care to introduce them in due course.
Settings:
Thus recites the small font incipit of a paper manuscript I found in a copper shrine in Palazzo Ducale, Mantua (Italy). Apart from a strange grammatical feature, perhaps an error (frontpage of the volume contains an inexplicable ancient Italian term “nAARratione”), the old fashioned book attracted me for its content. A leather folder comprising 110 sheets of different sizes (dated to the period between 1492 and 1526), dedicated for the most part to collect the memoirs of Nicola Romeo, a rather important character in Gonzaga Court during the first half of the troubled Italian Wars period (1494-1559).
I have tried to find further information about Nicola Romeo, but few things they know about him are related to his father Alessandro Romeo. He was born in the earliest part of XV century in the Greek community of Bari (Apulia, Italy) and was condottiere of Neapolitan armies during those turbulent years of succession wars among Aragon and Anjou families that followed the death of Giovanna II. After the final victory of Aragonese dynastic line in 1443, Alessandro left Southern Italy and reached Mantua while first Marquis Gianfrancesco Gonzaga was reigning, and where his son Nicola was born on January 20, 1455.
My purpose is taking Nicola Romeo’s memoirs as cue point to make known to you the saga of the dynasty who reigned over Mantua for nearly 400 years till first decade of XVIII century. New ancient (oxymoron) sources will enlighten, from time to time, my ignorance about changes in diplomacy and trade, religion and common life in Mantua and the wider environment of its possessions (Italy, Europe?) and it will be my care to introduce them in due course.
Settings:
- EU2 patch: 1.05
- Timeframe: 1492 onward (till 1708, if possible)
- Difficulty: very hard; aggressiveness: furious
- No reload, no cheats
- White font: narration; Blue font: author's insertions
- will take loans, if necessary, but will avoid bankruptcy at all costs
- will not declare war to anybody without casus belli, and will not break any truce
- will do forced annexations with neighbouring countries only, limiting itself to vassalise other countries after 100% victory
- will back royal marriages with either Italian cultured countries, or countries which own (for example, Spain) or border on (for example, France) at least one Italian cultured province. Furthermore, diplomatic capacity of leaders will affect the number of existing royal marriages (min 1, max 5)
- will sign max 10 trade agreements
- Domestic policy will change only as a consequence of random events and/or appearance of new monarch (according his historical attitudes)
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