Oration "Mirabitur fortassis" of Pope Pius II (September 1459, Mantua). 3rd version. (Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 79)

Résumé En

When in October 1458 Pius II summoned the European powers to a congress on the projected crusade against the Turks, the big question was if enough of them would send representatives to the congress to make it an effective and even legitimate international forum of decision. At the formal opening of the congress on 1 June 1459, so few envoys from the powers had turned up that the pope had to postpone the work of the congress and wait for more embassies to arrive. Over the summer, a number of them actually turned up or letters were received confirming their later arrival. So, in preparation of the effective opening of the congres the pope held a meeting in the beginning of September 1459 where he presented a status of the actual and promised representation of the powers at the congress (the oration “Mirabitur fortassis”). And when the very important Duke Francesco Sforza arrived in Mantua some days later, followed by the Venetian ambassadors, the pope initiated the work of the congress with the grand oration “Cum bellum hodie”.