Cesare Alessandro Scaglia

However, his support of Spain led to tensions with Victor Amadeus I when he succeeded to the Duchy of Savoy in 1630, and soon afterwards Scaglia retired to Brussels and Antwerp, both in the Spanish Netherlands.

Scaglia was prepared from a young age for clerical life, as a younger son not expected to inherit his father's title of Count di Verrua.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Count Gherardo, Scaglia entered the diplomatic service of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel I.

Campaigns were undertaken in 1619 and 1627 to have Scaglia created a cardinal to strengthen Savoy's influence in the Papal court, but although the first attempt even had French support, neither succeeded.

Alessandro Scaglia was a known friend and political ally of George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, and made use of this connection to influence English foreign policy.

In order to rid himself of all parties by a carnival trick, he had his page disguised in female attire, and accompanied by others of his household, made him get into his coach, which was completely closed, and away they went, the police and the whole crowd following for a space, thinking it contained the lady, who was making her escape.

[6] In his diplomatic correspondence, Scaglia is known to have made use of multiple numerical ciphers, a common practice in diplomacy and espionage at the time.