However, the friendship between #Pope and #elephant was short-lived: In June 1516, Hanno fell seriously ill; he could barely breathe and had convulsions. Pope Leo called in his own doctors, who diagnosed angina due to the shortness of breath. The animal was also suffering from constipation, and the doctors decided to treat it with a laxative, which, in accordance with common #earlyModern practice, was enriched with a large amount of gold and administered to the elephant in a high dosage in view of its size. The treatment was ineffective; the animal died on 8 June 1516 and was interred in the Cortile del Belvedere. His skeletal was discovered in 1962 during construction work on the cooling system. In contrary to first assumptions it did not belong to #dinosaur but an elephant.

The Pope himself composed the epitaph: (5/7)

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@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

The #pope affection for his exotic pet manifested itself in various ways:
1) He showed it in occasional public performances in which the #elephant bowed and knelt when called upon, sprayed water around, danced to music and apparently performed all kinds of tricks.
2) This affection is expressed in the stories of spectators who saw the #Pope playing with Hanno on a Sunday when the public was allowed to visit the enclosure and noticed the Pope's devoted clumsiness.
3) Out of concern for Hanno's health, the Pope refused to lend the elephant to relatives elsewhere. (4/7)

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Hanno became the beloved and favourite pet of the #Pope. The #elephant was kept initially in an enclosure in the #Belvedere courtyard, then moved to a specially constructed building between St. Peter's Basilica and the Apostolic Palace. Giovanni Battista Branconio dell'Aquila, chamberlain to the Pope, was appointed carer Hanno’s carer. And even Raphael produced several drawings of the pet. (3/7)

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Hanno was a white elephant that was gifted to #Pope Leo X upon his election by the Manuel I, king of #Portugal.

However, Hanno was not the first #elephant within #emdiplomacy. We can trace the tradition of sending elephants as diplomatic gifts back to the year 800. It became a regular custom first in the 13th century.

Diplomatic gifts and especially exotic gifts or animals were quite common during the #earlyModern period. They should reflect or even enhance both the giver’s and receiver’s honour and rank.

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672008-035/html

(2/7)

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Day twenty four and look at this crap! WHERE'S THE COAL!

#Grinchmas
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Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich promoted Ordin-Nashchokin to the rank of ‘conciliar courtier’. Having concluded the Andrusovo armistice with #Poland in 1667, which was beneficial for #Russia, he was granted the rank of boyar and Keeper of the Seal, later on becoming the Head of the Ambassadorial Chancery. Thus, the case of Ordin-Nashchokin who came from provincial gentry and had an extraordinary career was especially important as he received this post due to his personal achievements in the field of #emdiplomacy.

If you want to learn more about the development of #earlyModern Russian #diplomacy, we recommend the article by Maria A. Petrova in the #emdiplomacy handbook:

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672008-014/html

(6/6)

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First in 1656 Ordin-Nashchokin could be traced in another diplomatic occupation. He facilitated negotiations that led to the conclusion of a treaty of an alliance with #Courland and in 1658 the Treaty of Valiesar with #Sweden which left #Russia in the positions of the territories that it had conquered in #Livonia during the #SecondNorthernWar for three years. Moreover, Russia promised not to carry out mass deportations of Lutherans from these territories. Two years later, in 1660, he also participated in the negotiations leading to the peace of #Kardis that turned the Valiesar treaty into a permanent peace. (5/6)

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Afanasii Ordin-Nashchokin was the offspring of a family of the provincial gentry. But it was his father’s wish to provide him with an education in German, Latin and even mathematics. This might have been the base for his career as a civil servant and #emdiplomat. In 1642 Ordin-Nashchokin was part of the delegation that negotiated the border between #Russia and #Sweden following the #peace of #Stolbovo in 1617. Thereafter, he seemed to be engaged with domestic politics. (4/6)

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The extension and intensification of #Russia’s international contacts in the 17th century enhanced the status of the Ambassadorial Chancery that was also in charge of managing a number of cities, monasteries and several territorial chanceries. Since 1667 boyars (members of the highest rank of feudal nobility) rather than ‘conciliar secretaries’ were often appointed to head the missions; as an example, one should name Afanasii Ordin-Nashchokin (1605–1680), our #emdiplomat of the day! (3/6)

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The greater part of this work was done by secretaries and undersecretaries who corresponded in Russian. The Ambassadorial Chancery also had a number of translators and interpreters. These positions were often occupied by subjects of foreign states who entered the Russian service or less often Russians released from captivity.

Moreover, although noble origin was a prerequisite for the appointment of a Russian #emdiplomat, aristocrats often lacked appropriate skills. Therefore, since the middle of the 16th century the head of mission had a deputy drawn from the staff of the Ambassadorial Chancery – an experienced secretary or undersecretary, sometimes employee of other chanceries, who was responsible for negotiation itself & paperwork. A century later ‘conciliar secretaries’ were included into the most representative missions and could even head them. (2/6)

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