Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
Safavid Persia's Venetian Spymaster
In the early 17th century, a Venetian jewel trader named Giovanni Battista Vecchietti arrived at the Safavid court of Shah Abbas I. But Vecchietti was no ordinary merchant—he was a secret agent for the Vatican, sent to probe the possibility of a Persian alliance against the Ottoman Empire. This episode follows Vecchietti's journey from Venice to Isfahan, his audiences with Shah Abbas, and his reports back to Rome. We explore how the Safavids navigated European diplomacy, the role of Armenian and Venetian intermediaries, and why the dream of a Persian-papal alliance ultimately collapsed. Along…
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