The death of Adriano VI, on 14th September 1523, was followed by a long and tormented conclave which ended, on 18th November, with the election Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, with the name of Clemente VII. The new Pope, restoring the power of the Church into the hands of the Medici family, generated great expectations. In this situation, Castiglione was immediately sent to Rome by the Marquis of Mantua Federico Gonzaga, as resident ambassador. The journey, despite the unfavourable weather, was very quick, and already at the beginning of December he was able to pay homage to the Pope on behalf of the Gonzaga court. Before his departure, the Marquis had given Baldassarre a formal letter of presentation to the Pope, brimming with praise of his qualities, to which Clemente VII replied in solemn words.
In the first months of 1524, in Roma, Castiglione was occupied in carrying out his diplomatic duties on behalf of the lords of Mantua. With zeal, tact and experience, he was soon able to win over the confidence of the Pope, even trying to influence his political conduct with some advice. In particular, he tried to induce Clemente VII, in the context of the conflict between the two potentates that were competing for the domination of the peninsula, France and Spain, to adopt a pro-Empire strategy, in order to promote a coalition of all the Italian states alongside the Vatican and Charles V, that would induce the French King Frances I to seek peace. In this context Castiglione did not refrain from upholding his ideas in the discussions and dealings that took place around the court in Rome, against the strongest supporters of the french cause (Gian Matteo Giberti, Alberto Pio da Carpi, Lodovico di Canossa).
His manoeuvres seemed to be successful. And on 5th April Baldassarre wrote to Federico Gonzaga referring to him what the Pope wanted him to do, as Captain General of the Papal troops: “Do as much damage as possible to the French, not having any greater desire than seeing the French out of Italy” (V. Cian, Un illustre nunzio pontificio del Rinascimento. Baldassar Castiglione, The Vatican 1951, 102).
With Clement VII
