ABSTRACT
Between 1583 and 1586 discussions took place about the possibility of Marenzio's transferring to France, to serve either King Henri III or the duke of Joyeuse. Luigi d'Este, in his capacity as protector of France's interests in Rome, was intensely engaged in correspondence with Henri III and with the secretary of state Villeroy. In 1584, one of Marenzio's most productive years, Luigi d'Este hosted another influential person from beyond the Alps, his nephew Cardinal Louis II of Guise. If Cardinal Luigi d'Este's frequent visitations from France had no repercussions for Marenzio's style, they nevertheless had an important historical function. A few days after the Jean de Vivonne dedication was signed, both Marenzio and the whole city of Rome were plunged into mourning: on 31 December 1586. Jean de Vivonne, lord of Saint-Gouard and Marquis of Pisany, was appointed the French king's ambassador to the Holy See in March 1585.
