Why was Jules Mazarin sent to the French court as an extraordinary nuncio in 1634?

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Jules, Cardinal Mazarin Jules, Cardinal Mazarin, detail of a portrait by Philippe de Champaigne; in the Musée Condé, Chantilly, France.

Jules Mazarin was sent to the French court as an extraordinary nuncio in 1634 by Cardinal Antonio Barberini, with the primary mission of negotiating peace between Spain and France, a goal actively sought by Pope Urban VIII.1

During this mission, Mazarin worked alongside the powerful Cardinal de Richelieu, whose influence and political acumen deeply impressed him. Although Mazarin remained committed to his diplomatic objective of securing peace, he watched with despair as Richelieu brought France openly into the Thirty Years’ War in May 1635, effectively undermining the papal efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict.1