Section 2
The second section of the exhibition explores the relations between Italy and ancient Muscovy.
The earliest commercial contacts date from the 15th century and involve two important ports which were controlled by the Genoese and Venetian merchants: Caffa and Tana, the first on the Black Sea, the other on the Sea of Azov. Archeological digs in these areas have brought to light some interesting findings on display in the exhibition: fragments of decorated silk, ingots of silver and Genoese coins minted at Caffa specifically for this market. Through these trading centers passed sable, ermine and fox pelts which were adopted by the powerful Italian merchant class as well as the Muscovite nobility.
At the end of the 15th century, under Grand Prince Ivan III, the Russian court took on a greater degree of independence with respect to the rest of the country, and began to form an official protocol. The increasing contact between the Tsar and the ambassadors of the courts of Europe are documented by a number of accounts, including that of S. Herberstein (1549), diplomatist and counselor to the emperor Maximilian I. The same period saw an increase in the demand for Italian fabrics for the wardrobes of the Tsar and his court as well as the Orthodox Church. Religious vestments in particular, with both large and small patterns, were enriched by vast quantities of gold and silver thread. The splendor of Italian fabrics made for the Russian court are comparable to the liturgical vestments made for the Church of Rome.
During the 17th century diplomatic relations between Italy and Russia developed vastly. The Medici Grand Duchy received not only diplomatic letters such as that from Boris Godunov, which marks the beginning of free trade with Russia, but also organized delegations. The first diplomatic mission, in 1656, was that led by Ivan Ivanovitch Tchemodanov, of which a faithful and lively chronicle is preserved in the State Archives in Florence.
