Two Agents of Francis I of France: César Fragoso and Antonio Rincón

El presente trabajo analiza las figuras de dos personajes, Antonio Rincón y César Fragoso —que actuaron como agentes del monarca galo Francisco I—, a la luz de los datos que ofrece la correspondencia de los embajadores españoles destinados en Venecia y Génova durante la deci- mosexta centuria. El primero, antiguo comunero, tuvo una actuación destacada como embajador suyo ante la Puerta Otomana. Fragoso por su parte, perteneciente a una noble familia genovesa de filiación profrancesa, tuvo que exiliarse a Venecia cuando su república natal pasó a ser tutelada por el emperador. Y se convirtió en el mayor enemigo de la causa imperial en Italia, donde costeó cuantiosos sobornos a personajes influyentes de Venecia para conseguir su apoyo a Francia. Los frecuentes viajes de Rincón de Francia a Constantinopla y viceversa, en los que Fragoso le escoltaba, fueron el comienzo de su relación y, en uno de ellos, caerían asesinados, probablemente, por orden de Fernando de Ávalos, marqués del Vasto y gobernador español de Milán. The present work deals with the biographies of two characters, Antonio Rincón and César Fragoso, taking the references of the Spanish ambassadors whose of them served in Venice and Genoa during the sixteenth century. They were agents of the French King Francis I. The first of them, an old comunero, had an outstanding performance as the ambassador of Francis I in Cons- tantinople. The second one, Fragoso, was a member of an aristocratic family of Genoa concerning to pro-french faction. He was exiled in Venice when his native Republic became supervised by the Emperor Charles the Fifth and he became the greatest enemy of the imperial cause in Italy, getting the support of many families of Venice for France. The several trips of Rincón from France to Constantinople and viceversa, in which he was protected by Fragoso, they were the beginning of their relationship. They were killed probably by order of Fernando de Ávalos, marchese of Vasto and Spanish governor of Milan