ABSTRACT
The Gondi mastery of the intricacies of international finance was the indisputable basis of their rise to a position of influence at the French court. Their involvement in the crown’s most confidential transactions demanded their presence at court. It also made excellent use of their network of connections in Lyon and Italy. But this does not in itself explain their extraordinary political success. The Gondi built intelligently on the bridgehead created by their financial acumen. By the second decade of the French wars of religion, leading members of the family were as important for their political and diplomatic services as for their role in banking.
