The Final Report

European scholars have traditionally associated the origin of permanent diplomacy and the emergence of resident ambassadors with the growth of territorial powers in Italy between the fourteenth and fifteenth century. Moving away from this institutional framework, the most recent research agenda is looking at diplomacy as a complex social and cultural practice that enabled Europeans and non-Europeans to engage in formal and informal exchanges, through the elaboration of shared linguistic codes, the negotiation of common rituals of communication and the reciprocal acquaintance with different political behaviours. In this direction, a textbook on Italian diplomatic sources represents a most needed introduction to further research.