Obraz Rudolfa II. v komunikaci mantovských vyslanců na císařském dvoře během sporu o říšské léno Novellara (1587-1591)

This study deals with the formation of the image of Rudolph II and perceptions of him in the course of communication between the Mantuan envoys and the emperor and his council during the legal dispute with Vincenzo Gonzaga I, Duke of Mantua, over the imperial fief of Novellara in 1588 and 1591. The Mantuan envoys and court officials played a fundamental role in the process of creating and receiving the image. The author examines how the Mantuan ambassadors described Rudolph II and his court officials differently when Vincenzo Gonzaga I fell out of favour with the emperor and was pardoned within a relatively short time.