INTERPRETI E DIPLOMAZIA: TRADUZIONE, MANIPOLAZIONE E “IMBROGLIO” NELLE TRATTATIVE SUL CONFINE VENETO-OTTOMANO IN DALMAZIA ALLA FINE DELLA GUERRA DI CANDIA
INTERPRETERS AND DIPLOMACY: TRANSLATION, HANDLING AND “TRICKS” IN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE VENETO-OTTOMAN BORDER IN DALMATIA AT THE END OF THE WAR OF CANDIA

Summary/Abstract: At the end of the war of Candia, borders in Dalmatian frontier represented a matter of particular concern to both Venetians and Ottomans. This paper focuses on the role of dragomans, who, in the borders negotiations that followed the military conflict, played a primary role next to the diplomatic representatives (the extraordinary ambassador of the Venetian Republic and the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire) and the two specific commissioners delegated for the definition of the so-called “linea Nani”. Generally, the official documents that sanctioned the agreements on border matters show dragomans almost exclusively as institutional interpreters. However, this paper, by means of documents kept in the Venetian State Archive, demonstrates that dragomans were far from being mere translators. On the contrary, they were multifaceted figures who, according to the situations, worked as intermediaries and spokesmen of diplomatic representatives, as well as negotiators, confidants, informers, and even spies. Thanks to their linguistic skills, diplomatic abilities, social and family ties with local communities (either Muslim or non-Muslim), they occupied a position of great importance in the Levantine diplomatic and informative network, by maintaining, in an almost exclusive way, regular and direct contacts with the sultan’s ministers and subjects.

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