In the Sultan's Realm: Two Venetian Ambassadorial Reports on the Early Modern Ottoman Empire

The final reports, or relazioni, of Venice’s ambassadors are among the most noted historical documents produced in the early modern era. At the end of their service, all Venetian diplomats were expected to deliver a detailed report to the Senate of their activities and an assessment of the polity to which they had been posted. Because of their incisive political analysis and rich ethnographic detail, the reports of Venice’s highly experienced diplomats were greatly valued in their own day, and have been extensively used by scholars since their presentation. The two documents translated in this volume are excellent examples of these final reports, here translated in their entirety for the first time. They provide a detailed snapshot into the Ottoman Empire and its relations with Venice at a time of transition for both of these Mediterranean powers.