Ambrogio Contarini (1429-99) was Venetian merchant and diplomat, author of a noteworthy report on Persia under the Aq Qoyunlu Uzun Ḥasan. He was descended from a patrician family and pursued a career in commerce. In his youth he lived in Constantinople as a merchant but had to leave after the start of the Ottoman-Venetian War in 1463. Seeking an alliance with Uzun Hasan, the Venetian Republic charged Contarini with a diplomatic mission to Persia. Contarini departed in February 1474, traveled through central Europe, passed through Kiev and Georgia, and reached Tabrīz in August. A written version was drawn up in the same year and published in 1486 in Vicenza by the printer Leonardo from Basel, with the title "Questo e el viazo de mister Ambrosio Contarin ambasador de la illustrissima signoria de Venesia al signor Uxuncassan Re di Persia." A second edition (Venice, 1524), entitled Itinerario del Magnifico et Clarissimo messer Ambrosio Contarini was included by G. B. Ramusio in the second volume of his collection Navigationi et Viaggi (Venice, 1559). Contarini’s report was translated into Latin and French in the l7th century and, under the auspices of the Hakluyt Society, into English in 1873. This excerpt is a modified version of the Haklyut edition.
On the 12th of July, 1475 … we arrived at a city belonging to this king called Tiphis [Tiflis], situated on a little hill with its castle, which is very strong, on the hill higher up. This city has the reputation of having been very large, but much of it has been destroyed. What little remains contains a numerous population, among which are many Catholics. Here, also, we met with an Armenian Catholic, with whom we lodged.
On the 15th, while riding through Georgiania, for the most part over mountains, we passed a few villages and occasionally saw a castle on the summit of a mountain.
On the 18th, when near the confines of Mingrelia, we met King Pangrati [Bagrat] in the midst of a wood surrounded by mountains, and we all went to pay him a visit. He wished us to eat with him, and we sat down on the ground with skins for a table-cloth, according to their fashion. Our repast consisted of roast meat with a little poultry, badly cooked, and a few other things; but there was wine in abundance, as they consider that to treat their guests with wine is the greatest honour they can show them. When the eating was over, they began the debauch with certain goblets half a braccio long, and those who drank most were the most esteemed. As the Turks [Uzun Hasan’s envoys] do not drink wine, we rose from the contest and finally took our leave, for which reason we were looked upon with much contempt. The king was tall, and about forty years of age; he had a brown complexion, and a Tartar expression of countenance, but was nevertheless a handsome man.
On the morning of the 20th we left here, and, traveling through Georgiania almost continually over a mountainous country, came to the confines of Mingrelia, where, on the 22nd, we met the captain of certain men, on foot and on horseback, belonging to the king, who, on account of some troubles which there were in Mingrelia, occasioned by the death of King Bendian [Bediani, Lord of Mingrelia], compelled us, with many menaces, to stop. They then took from us two quivers with the bows and arrows, and we gave them some money. Being then allowed to go, we left the road as fast as we could, and entered a wood, where we remained that night in great fear of being attacked.
On the morning of the 23rd, while going through a narrow pass on our way to Cotatis [Kutaisi], we were attacked by some people of a village who stopped us, threatening to take our lives. After a great deal of parleying they took three horses belonging to the Turkish ambassadors, the bearers of the present, and it was only with much trouble and by paying about twenty ducats of their money, and giving up some horses and bows, that we were allowed to pass on. We then proceeded to Cotatis [Kutaisi], a castle belonging to the king.
On the morning of the 24th, being obliged to cross a river by a bridge, we were attacked and compelled to pay a grosso for each horse, which certainly caused us much vexation. After leaving here we entered Mingrelia, sleeping continually in the forests.
On the 25th, we crossed a river by means of boats, and entered a village belonging to a woman named Moresca, the sister of Bendian, who pretended to give us a good reception, and presented us with bread and wine, and placed us in one of her closed meadows.
On the morning of the 26th, we determined to make her a present to the value of about twenty ducats. She thanked us, and would not accept it, but began to complain, saying that she wanted two ducats for each horse; and, although we pleaded our poverty as an excuse, it was, as in former cases, of no avail, and we were obliged to give her the two ducats per horse; after which, she not only wanted the present we had offered her, but gratuities besides, and it was not without difficulty that we succeeded in leaving. Certainly, from the way she went on, I thought we should have been robbed of everything.
On the 27th, some of us in boats and some on horseback, arrived at Fasso much fatigued. We lodged at the house of the before-mentioned Marta, and, as a consolation for the hardships we had endured, we heard that Capha [Kaffa, Italian colony in the Crimea], through which we had intended to pass, had been taken by the Turks. What disappointment this news afforded us may be imagined. We knew not what course to adopt, and felt as lost. Ludovico da Bologna, the Patriarch of Antioch, however, decided upon going by way of Circassia and Tartary to Russia, as he appeared to have some knowledge of the way. He himself had several times proposed that we should not abandon each other, and of this I reminded him, and begged that we might perform the journey in company. He replied, however, that it was time for everyone to take care of his own safety. This appeared to me a strange and iniquitous reply, and I again begged him not to be so cruel, but it was of no avail. He insisted on going with his company and attendants and the ambassador given to him by Uzun Hasan. When I saw this I tried to come to an arrangement with Marco Rosso and the Turkish ambassador who was with him, and take measures to return. They seemed to agree to this, and, as a sign of good faith, we kissed each other’s lips, and I counted on their promise. Having consulted together, however, they resolved to go through the territories of Gorgora, Lord of Calcican [Akhaltsikhe] and the lands of Vati [Batum] which border on places belonging to the Ottoman, and pay him tribute. When I heard this, rather than take the same direction, I considered it preferable to remain at Fasso at the mercy of God.
On the 6th of August, 1475, the Patriarch mounted his horse, and, after making me some excuse, started with his people. The next day Marco Rosso, the Turk, and some Russians, who were with them, departed: some in one of the boats of the country, and some on horseback, for Vati [Batum], with the intention of going by way of Samachi [Shemakhi, in Shirvan], and then passing through Tartary. I thus remained alone with my attendants—five of us in all—utterly abandoned, without money, without hope of safety, neither knowing which way to go nor what course to adopt. What our feelings were I leave any reasonable person to consider. I was attacked on this day of trouble with a severe and terrible fever, to cure which I could get nothing but water from the river and gruel and, occasionally, a little chicken. It was a severe illness, accompanied by delirium, as, from what I was afterwards told, I said many strange things. A few days afterwards three of my people fell sick, and Priest Stephano alone remained to attend to us all. My bed consisted of a miserable counterpane, lent to me by a certain Zuan di Valcan, a Genoese, residing at that place, and served both for bed and bedding. The attendants had to put up with what few clothes they had. My illness lasted till the 10th of September, and brought me to such extremity that my attendants made sure that I should die. But my good fortune would have it, that Donna Marta applied to a little bag containing oil and certain herbs, after which, I got better. I really attribute my recovery, however, to the mercy of our Lord God, who did not wish me to die in those countries, and to Him be all gratitude. Having, then, remained united, we took counsel together as to what course we should adopt, and it was resolved, in deference to my opinion, to turn back to Samachi [Shemakhi, in Shirvan] in order to pass through Tartary. Some wished me to go by way of Soria [Syria] but this I would not do on any account, and I remained a short time at Fasso to restore my health.
On the 10th of September, 1475, we mounted our horses, and, after going about two of our miles, I could not ride any farther, on account of extreme weakness. I was, therefore, lifted from my horse and placed on the ground, and when I had taken a little rest we returned to Donna Marta, with whom we remained till the 17th. When our strength was to a certain degree restored, we mounted again, and, in the name of our Lord God, proceeded on the voyage we had resolved upon. At Fasso there happened to be a Greek acquainted with the language of Mengrelia, whom I took as a guide, and who committed a thousand rascally tricks, which it would excite pity to relate.
On the 17th, we mounted our horses, as I have mentioned, and returned through Mengrelia with some difficulty.
On the 21st we were in Cotatis [Kutaisi], and, as our guide gave me much trouble, I was obliged to dismiss him. We remained at Cotatis [Kutaisi] till the 24th, partly because I did not feel well, and partly to wait for some people to accompany us. At length we started in company with some people whom we neither knew nor understood, and travelled over certain mountains, not without fear, until the 30th, when we reached Tiflis. Here I dismounted, more dead than alive, at the church of an Armenian Catholic, by whom we and many others were certainly well received. This priest had a son, who, to our misfortune, fell sick of the plague, which had been very prevalent at this place during the year. As my people went in his company, he gave it to Mapheo da Bergamo, the servant, who attended me, and who kept near me for two days while ill with it. Having at length thrown himself down on his bed, and his disease being discovered, I was advised to move to other quarters. A place where cows were kept at night having been cleaned as well as it was possible, and furnished with a little hay, I was made to rest in it on account of my great weakness. The priest would not allow Mapheo to remain in his house any longer, and, as there was nowhere else, it was necessary to put him in a corner of the place where I was. He was waited upon by Priest Stephano, but it pleased our Lord God to take him. I then obtained, after many prayers, another cowshed, where I was accommodated in a similar manner. We were abandoned by everyone except an old man, who understood a little Turkish, and continued to serve us. But how we fared may be easily judged. We remained at Tiflis until the 21st of October; on the day preceding which, as my good fortune would have it, there arrived the Turkish ambassador, who had accompanied brother Ludovico, the Patriarch of Antioch. From him I learnt that when they had proceeded as far as Avogasia [present-day Abkhazia] they had been robbed of everything, and that the robbery was to be attributed to the Patriarch himself. He had, therefore, left him to return to his own country, and said that this would cause great dissatisfaction to Uzun Hasan. I condoled with him as well as I could, and we left together on the 21st of October. Tifiis belongs to Pangrati, King of Giorgiania. After travelling two days we entered the territory of Uzun Hasan, as it was on our way to Samachi, and passed through a fine country.
On the 26th of October, 1475, we came to a place where we were obliged to separate, as it was necessary that I should travel through the country of Sivanza, in order to reach the town of Samachi, and that the ambassador should go towards his own country. By means of this ambassador I obtained a Turkish priest as a guide as far as Samachi. Having taken leave, we started with the guide and entered Media, which is a much more beautiful and fertile country than that of Uzun Hasan, and consists mostly of plains. Here we fared very well.
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