Pope suggests Sophia as wife for Ivan the Great

Pope suggests Sophia as wife for Ivan the Great
02/11/1469 AD sent delgation to

A delegation led by Cardinal Bessarion arrived in Moscow with the formal proposal of marriage between Sophia and the Grand Prince. Ivan III consulted his mother, Maria of Borovsk, the Metropolitan Philip and his boyars, and received a positive response.

In reply Ivan Fryazin (Gian-Battista della Volpe) was sent to the Roman court to engage in the proper negotiations for the match. According to the chronicles, he was sent back to Moscow with a portrait of the princess that "caused an extreme surprise in the court". (This portrait was not preserved, which is very unfortunate, because it was probably painted by one of the painters at the papal court at that time: Pietro Perugino, Melozzo da Forlì or Pedro Berruguete). The Pope received the Russian Ambassador with great honors.

On 16 January 1472, Fryazin was sent again to Rome, this time to bring home his master's bride. He arrived there on 23 May, after a journey of more than four months.

Moscow

Lattitude: 55.7558° N
Longitude: 37.6172° E
Region: Russia and Eastern Bloc

Modern Day Russia

Events in 1469 MORE