Carlo Maggi (Latinized ''Carolus Magius'', d. c. 1587) was a

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

citizen ("cittadino originario") and traveller. During 1568–1573, he visited much of the

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

, then under Ottoman control, including the city of Jerusalem, where he was made a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He was captured by the Turks during the siege of the city of

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

in the Cyprus War of 1570-1571, being able to free himself and to get back to Venice only after the Battle of Lepanto in 1572. He compiled a short travelogue in manuscript form in 1578, known as the ''Codex Maggi'', now kept in the

Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

. The manuscript consists of 18 miniatures by a Flemish or a

master, showing scenes of Maggi's travels. A French commentary on the manuscript was published by

Louis César de La Baume Le Blanc Louis César de La Baume Le Blanc, ''duc de Vaujours'', '' ''duc de La Vallière' (9 October 1708 – 16 November 1780), was a French nobleman, bibliophile and military man. The present '' duc d'Uzès'' and ''duc de Luynes'' descend from him. ...

in 1761.

References

* Ariane Isler-de Jongh, François Fossier, ''Le voyage de Charles Magius, 1568-1573'', 1992, . *''Description historique d'un volume composé des tableaux peints en miniatures qui représentent les Voyages & les Aventures de CHARLES MAGIUS ..', Paris, 1761
online facsimile at bnf.fr
* Baldan Ilaria, ''Codex Magius'', in ''Chypre, entre Byzance et l'Occident IVe - XVIe siècle'', catalogue of the exhibition at the Musée du Louvre (28/10/2012 - 28/1/2013), Musée du Louvre éditions, Parigi, 2012, n. 159. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maggi, Carlo Italian travel writers Italian male writers 1580s deaths 16th century in the Ottoman Empire Year of birth unknown 16th-century Italian writers 16th-century male writers 16th-century travel writers Medieval Knights of the Holy Sepulchre