Pietro Della Valle

Pietro Della Valle
Pietro Della Valle
    Pietro della Valle
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Pietro della Valle
    Italian traveller in the Orient, b. at Rome, 2 April, 1586; d. there, 21 April, 1652. He belonged to a noble family and received an excellent education. As a young man he was a poet, orator, a soldier in the papal service, and a member of the Roman Academy of the Umoristi. In 1611 he took part in a campaign against the Barbary States. An unfortunate love-affair was the cause of a pilgrimage, lasting eleven years. On 8 June, 1614, he started from Venice by sea and went first to Constantinople where he remained a year and learned both Turkish and Arabic. On 25 September, 1615, he traveled to Alexandria, thence to Cairo, and in the spring of 1616 on to Jerusalem. After visiting the Holy Places he continued his journey to Damascus, Aleppo, and Bagdad. Here he married a Syrian Christian named Maani who accompanied him on his travels during the succeeding years. It was probably on account of his marriage that he visited Persia, for the parents of his wife had been robbed by Kurds. In 1618 he was hospitably received in Northern Persia by the Shah Abbas the Great whom he followed to the capital Ispahan. He acted as mediator between the shah and the Christians of Persia. During the next four years he explored Persia; then in October, 1621, he started for Perseopolis and Schiras. He was prevented from continuing his journey as far as India by the war between the Portuguese and Persians. His wife died on 30 December, 1621, and he kept her body with him until his return. In 1622 he took part in the siege of Ormus from which the Portuguese were driven. He then spent two years (1623-24) in India, where his headquarters were Surat and Goa. In 1625 he started on the return journey by way of Muscat, Basra, Aleppo, Cyprus, and Naples, and arrived at Rome, 28 March, 1626. Urban VIII appointed him a papal chamberlain. The rest of Valle's life was fairly peaceful. His second wife was a Georgian orphan Mariuccia, who had accompanied him on his travels. The most important of his works is his account of his travels (Viaggi) in fifty-four friendly letters (Lettere famigliari) addressed to Mario Schipano, a professor of medicine at Naples. They appeared first at Rome in three volumes (1650-53) and were translated later into English, French, German, and Dutch. The narrative is distinguished by learning and keen observation but inclines to credulity and stories of marvellous occurrences.
    The Travels of Pietro della Valle, ed. GREY (London, 1892); CIAMPI, Della vita e delle opere di Pietro della Valle (Rome, 1880).
    KLEMENS LÖFFLER
    Transcribed by Michael T. Barrett Dedicated to Angelia Harris

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • Pietro Della Valle — (April 2, 1586– April 21, 1652) was an Italian traveler in Asia. BiographyPietro della Valle was born in Rome from a wealthy noble family. His early life was divided between the pursuits of literature and arms. He was a cultivated man, who knew… …   Wikipedia

  • Pietro della Valle — Pietro Della Valle dit Pellegrino (né le 11 avril 1586 à Rome mort le 21 avril 1652) était un aventurier, poète, musicien et explorateur italien du XVII …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pietro Della Valle — (* 2. April 1586 in Rom; † 20. od. 21. April 1652 in Rom) war ein italienischer Forschungsreisender, Reiseschriftsteller und Komponist. Pietro della Valle beschäftigte sich schon früh mit den Wissenschaften und der Dichtkunst. 1611 nahm er mit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pietro della Valle — (* 2. April 1586 in Rom; † 20. oder 21. April 1652 ebenda) war ein italienischer Forschungsreisender, Reiseschriftsteller und Komponist. Pietro della Valle beschäftigte sich schon früh mit den Wissenschaften und der Dichtkunst. 1611 nahm er mit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pietro Della Valle — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Della Valle. Pietro Della Valle Pietro Della Valle dit Pellegrino (né le 11 avril 1586 à Rome mort le 21 avril 1652) était …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Della Valle — may refer to: Alessandro Della Valle, San Marinese footballer; Andrea della Valle, 16th century Italian cardinal; Andrea Della Valle, Italian entrepreneur; Antonio della Valle, Zoologist; Crosio della Valle, comune in Varese; Dario Della Valle,… …   Wikipedia

  • Della Valle —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Della Valle est un nom de famille d origine italienne notamment porté par : : Andrea Della Valle (1463 1534), cardinal italien,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Valle, Pietro della — Valle, Pietro della, ital. Reisender, geb. 2. April 1586 in Rom, gest. daselbst 20. April 1652, beschäftigte sich früh mit den Wissenschaften, der Musik und der Dichtkunst, nahm 1611 auf einer spanischen Flotte an einem Zuge gegen die… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Valle, Pietro della — • Italian traveller in the Orient (1586 1652) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Prato della Valle — 45°23′54″N 11°52′33″E / 45.39833, 11.87583 …   Wikipédia en Français

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