Nuno Vila-Santa

“Diplomacia y humanismo: el embajador Jean Nicot y la rivalidad marítima franco-portuguesa (1559-1561)”

This article aims to re-examine Jean Nicot’s embassy to Portugal, by using his correspondence. I attempt to show that the main episodes in this maritime rivalry during Nicot’s tenure are intrinsically connected with the ambassador’s acquisition of Portuguese maritime knowledge. I also suggest the connection between the information transmitted by Nicot from Lisbon with his work as a translator and disseminator of Portuguese knowledge after his resettling in France. Nicot’s embassy is compared with those of other French and Spanish ambassadors.