The seminar series addresses several interconnected themes in medieval diplomatic studies. One central concern is how diplomatic language evolved and adapted across different cultural contexts. For instance, the opening presentation examines correspondence patterns between the Crown of Aragon and post-Almohad states, offering insights into how Christian and Islamic polities developed shared diplomatic vocabularies despite religious and political differences.
Commercial networks emerge as another significant theme, particularly in how trade relationships facilitated diplomatic communication. The presentation on Catalan and Valencian agents in Palermo demonstrates how merchants often served dual roles as economic actors and informal diplomatic intermediaries, blurring the boundaries between commerce and statecraft.
The series also explores tensions within diplomatic systems themselves. The study of Venetian-Cretan relations before 1363 highlights how local actors could both support and challenge central diplomatic policies, while the examination of diplomatic rhetoric in Venetian chronicles reveals how contemporary writers shaped the narrative of diplomatic events for their own purposes.
Finally, the presentation on Florentine diplomacy in the Ottoman Levant addresses questions of adaptation and innovation—how established European diplomatic practices were modified when encountering different political structures and cultural expectations. Together, these presentations contribute to broader discussions about how medieval societies managed cross-cultural communication, negotiated political relationships, and documented their diplomatic activities for posterity.