Ho vedute con sorpresa le Piramidi. Tre lettere inedite di Alessandro Ricci dall'Egitto - I Saw the Pyramids with Surprise. Three Unpublished Letters by Alessandro Ricci from Egypt

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

This article presents three previously unpublished letters written by the Sienese physician and draughtsman Alessandro Ricci during his first journey to Egypt between 1817 and 1818. Long considered elusive, these documents—addressed to Francesco Spannocchi-Piccolomini and discovered between 2010 and 2024—shed new light on Ricci’s early months in Egypt, his expectations, disappointments, and gradual shift from medicine to exploration. The letters trace his arrival in Alexandria, his disillusionment with medical prospects in Cairo, and his first encounters with Egypt’s antiquities, including a vivid description of the Pyramids. They also illuminate the networks of patronage, diplomacy, and commerce that shaped his career, revealing how Ricci navigated financial difficulty and uncertain employment while positioning himself within the circles of Henry Salt and other key figures. As the earliest surviving testimonies of Ricci in Egypt, these documents refine our understanding of his formative experiences and motivations as an emerging explorer.

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