Introduction

We are pleased to present this new issue of the Ignatianum Philo- sophical Yearbook, largely devoted to diplomacy in the early modern period. The focus is directed both to professional diplomats in the ser- vice of European states—ambassadors, envoys extraordinary, residents, and legate secretaries—and to informal emissaries of rulers and mem- bers of their information networks. The articles gathered in this volume highlight the role of the diplomatic “actor” or adopt comparative and prosopographical perspectives.