Page - 192 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 1

Chapter 4192 the Habsburg interest and their principal partisan in Augsburg, he maintained close contacts with the Imperial Court and was personally acquainted with Charles v. His acquaintance with Charles’ brother, King Ferdinand, and with his children went back even further, to the time he spent as a young man at Ferdinand’s court in Innsbruck. His services were rewarded with membership of the Imperial Council (1549) and of King Ferdinand’s household (1551). So he was in a position both to inform Strada of the character, the interests and the requirements of the Habsburgs as prospective patrons, and to recommend him to them, if he chose.6 During their frequent visits to Augsburg the several members of the dynasty habitually lodged in the Fugger house, where Fugger acted as their host: and it is perfectly possible, even likely, that Fugger intro- duced Strada to his august guests in person. The Imperial court would in any case have attracted Strada as offering opportunities of patronage even in the 1540s, especially at events such as an Imperial Diet or a princely wedding, when the presence of a great number of princes and magnates would be assured. At such occasions the Imperial en- tourage would habitually be crowded with all sorts of hangers-on: not merely political agents of princes or free towns of the Empire and foreign dignitar- ies lobbying for the interests of their masters, but also clerics, humanists 6 It is not unlikely that Fugger did exert his patronage in this respect; probably in an informal way during a personal interview with Charles, Ferdinand or Maximilian, for instance when showing them round his collection. No written recommendation has been found, if it was ever sent.