Un negustor florentin şi conexiunile sale europene: Antonio Pandolfi din Liov, cca. 1550-1577
A Florentine merchant in Lviv and his European connections: Antonio Pandolfi, cca 1550-1577

Summary/Abstract: On February 4th 1564 a long letter was sent from Perugia to Piero Machiavelli, Luogotenente generale of the Tuscan fleet in Leghorn, by a certain Antonio Pandolfi. The letter ignited the interest of Romanian historians, as it contains detailed and accurate information pertaining to the history of Moldavia, covering the period from 1546 to 1563. Although Antonio Pandolfi’s text was edited twice, the editors had real difficulties in identifying the author’s background and sources. This paper aims to fill the lack of knowledge on these two major issues and to provide a possible explanation for the reasons behind Pandolfi’s initiative. Using new information, the article contends that Antonio Pandolfi was a Florentine merchant who lived in the Polish town of Lviv between 1550 and 1577. He was involved in trading operations on the Moldavian and Ottoman markets and it is in this way that he gathered the valuable information provided later to the Machiavellis. As for the aims of Antonio Pandolfi’s letter, the article suggests it was part of a strategy meant to draw upon him the protection of the powerful Machiavelli family, an efficient tool to cope with the professional difficulties he had to face back home in Lviv.

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