Pierre de Brazza
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Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, later known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza; 26 January 1852 – 14 September 1905), was an Italian-born, naturalized French
explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
. With his family's financial help, he explored the Ogooué region of Central Africa, and later with the backing of the
Société de Géographie The Société de Géographie (; ), is the world's oldest geographical society. It was founded in 1821 as the first Geographic Society. Since 1878, its headquarters have been at 184 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris. The entrance is marked by two gig ...
de Paris, he reached far into the interior along the right bank of the Congo. He has often been depicted as a man of friendly manner, great charm and peaceful approach towards the Africans he met and worked with on his journeys, but recent research has revealed that he in fact alternated this kind of approach with more calculated deceit and at times relentless armed violence towards local populations. Under French colonial rule, the capital of the
Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
was named
Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
after him and the name was retained by the post-colonial rulers, one of the few African nations to do so. (Other exceptions are
Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
, South Africa;
Port Louis Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's ec ...
, Mauritius;
Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...
, Gabon; and
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, Seychelles.)


Early years

Born in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà was the seventh of thirteen children. His father Ascanio Savorgnan di Brazzà, was a nobleman and well known artist, from a family with ancient
Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giulia ...
an origins and many French connections. His mother Giacinta
Simonetti The Simonetti family is an Italian noble family with origins in Tuscany. During the 12th Century different branches in Florence, Terni, Lucca, Pistoia and Pescia developed. Other famous branches of this family were established in Jesi, Palermo, ...
, from an old Roman family with Venetian roots, was 24 years younger than his father. From an early age, Pietro was interested in explorations, particularly in West Africa, and he won entry to the 
French naval school French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
Academy of Borda at 
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. In 1870, he graduated and sailed aboard the French ship ''Jeanne d'Arc'' to Algeria, where he witnessed the bloody crushing of the
Mokrani Revolt The Mokrani Revolt ( ar, مقاومة الشيخ المقراني, lit=Resistance of Cheikh El-Mokrani; ber, Unfaq urrumi, lit=French insurrection) was the most important local uprising against France in Algeria since the French conquest of Alger ...
. This committed him to a philosophy of non-violence throughout his life.


Exploration in Africa

Brazza first encountered Africa in 1872, while sailing on an anti-slavery mission near
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
. His next ship was the ''Vénus'', which stopped at Gabon regularly. In 1874 Brazza made two trips into the interior, up the
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
and Ogooué rivers. He then proposed to the government that he explore the Ogooué to its source. With the help of friends in high places, including
Jules Ferry Jules François Camille Ferry (; 5 April 183217 March 1893) was a French statesman and republican philosopher. He was one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans and served as Prime Minister of France from 1880 to 1881 and 1883 to 1885. He ...
and
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, he secured partial funding, the rest coming from his own pocket. He was granted French citizenship in 1874, and adopted the French spelling of his name. His efforts to gain citizenship had been aided by
Louis Raymond de Montaignac de Chauvance Louis Raymond marquis de Montaignac de Chauvance (11 March 1811, Paris – 9 June 1891, Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimate ...
, who acted as de Brazza's patron in the early years of his career. In this expedition, which lasted from 1875–1878, 'armed' only with cotton textiles and tools to use for barter, and accompanied by a medical doctor, Noel Ballay, a naturalist, Alfred Marche, his assistant Victor Hamon, twelve
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
ese
laptot Laptots were African colonial troops in the service of France between 1750 and the early 1900s. History The term ''laptot'' probably derives from the word ''lappato bi'' in the Wolof language, referring to interpreters, intermediaries or brokers ...
s, four Gabonese interpreters and his cook Chico, the explorer made his way deep inland where no other European had ventured because of the river dwellers' resistance. But Brazza's lack of fear and peaceful demeanor gained him the trust of the people encountered. Upon his return to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
he was fêted as a celebrity in the French press and was courted by the French political elite as the man to advance their imperialist ambitions in Africa. The French authorized a second mission, which was carried out 1879-1882. The French had adjudged his first mission a success and felt that a mission to the
Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...
was needed to prevent Henry M. Stanley at the service of King Leopold of Belgium from occupying the entire area. By following the Ogoué River upstream and proceeding overland to the Lefini River and then downstream, Brazza succeeded in reaching the Congo River in 1880 without encroaching on
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
claims.Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, Henry Louis Gates, ''Dictionary of African Biography, Volume 6'', OUP USA, 2012, p. 3 Brazza then was received by King Makoko Iloo I of the Batéké in what was the most significant encounter of his career as an explorer. Brazza proposed to King Makoko that he place his kingdom under the protection of the
French flag The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...
. King Makoko, aware of Stanley's advance and interested in trade possibilities and gaining an edge over his rivals, signed the
treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations An international organization or international o ...
. The terms of this treaty were upheld after the king's death by his queen,
Ngalifourou Ngalifourou (1864 – 8 June 1956) was a queen of the Mbé region in what is today the Republic of Congo(Congo-Brazzaville). As a ruler she was close to French colonial authorities and was the first ruler in her region to sign a treaty with them. ...
, who became Queen Mother and an influential figure in French colonial life. Brazza respected
Ngalifourou Ngalifourou (1864 – 8 June 1956) was a queen of the Mbé region in what is today the Republic of Congo(Congo-Brazzaville). As a ruler she was close to French colonial authorities and was the first ruler in her region to sign a treaty with them. ...
so much that he presented her with a sabre. Makoko also arranged for the establishment of a French settlement at Mfoa on the Congo's Malebo Pool, a place later known as
Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
; after Brazza's departure, the outpost was manned by two
Laptot Laptots were African colonial troops in the service of France between 1750 and the early 1900s. History The term ''laptot'' probably derives from the word ''lappato bi'' in the Wolof language, referring to interpreters, intermediaries or brokers ...
s under the command of Senegalese Sergeant
Malamine Camara Malamine Camara (died in 1886) was a Senegalese sergeant in the French Colonial Forces, French colonial army, and a key figure in the extension of French colonial rule in the Congo Basin. Career Camara was born in the Senegalese interior, thou ...
, whose resourcefulness had impressed de Brazza during their several months together trekking inland from the coast. During this trip he encountered
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near Vivi. Brazza did not tell Stanley that he had just signed a treaty with Makoko; it took Stanley some months to realize that he had been beaten in the "race" set by his sponsor, King Leopold. Brazza was again celebrated in France for his efforts. The press dubbed him "le conquérant pacifique", the peaceful conqueror, for his success in ensuring French imperial expansion without waging war. In 1883,''Histoire militaire des colonies, pays de protectorate et pays sous mandat.'' 7.
Histoire militaire de l'Afrique Équatoriale française
. 1931. Accessed 9 October 2011.
Brazza was named governor-general of the
French Congo The French Congo (french: Congo français) or Middle Congo (french: Moyen-Congo) was a French colony which at one time comprised the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo and parts of Gabon, and the Central African Republic. In 1910, i ...
in 1886. He was dismissed in 1897 due to poor revenue from the colony and journalist reports of conditions for the natives that some said were "too good." For his part Brazza had become disillusioned with the exploitative and repressive practices of the
concession Concession may refer to: General * Concession (contract) (sometimes called a concession agreement), a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area, such as to explore or develop its natural resources or to opera ...
ary companies, which he had witnessed first-hand. By 1905, stories had reached Paris of injustice, forced labour and brutality under the ''laissez-faire'' approach of the Congo's new governor,
Émile Gentil Émile Gentil (; 4 April 1866 – 30 March 1914) was a French colonial administrator, naval officer, and military leader. Born at Volmunster in the department of Moselle, he later attended the École Navale, the school that formed French na ...
, to the new
concession Concession may refer to: General * Concession (contract) (sometimes called a concession agreement), a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area, such as to explore or develop its natural resources or to opera ...
companies set up by the French
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and condoned by Prosper Philippe Augouard,
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Bishop of the Congo. Brazza was sent to investigate these stories and the resulting report was revealing and damning, in spite of many obstructions placed in his path. When his deputy Félicien Challaye put the embarrassing report before the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
, the report was suppressed. The oppressive conditions in the French Congo continued for decades.


Personal life

Brazza's younger brother, Jacques Savorgnan de Brazza, was a mountaineer and naturalist who accompanied Pierre to Africa in 1883–1886. Brazza married Thérèse de Chambrun, and as a result,
Pierre de Chambrun Pierre de Chambrun (11 June 1865 in Paris – 24 August 1954) was a French politician. Early life Charles Louis Antoine Pierre Gilbert Pineton de Chambrun was born in Paris. The Pineton de Chambrun family was of noble origin and politically ...
and Charles de Chambrun were his brothers-in-law. Meanwhile,
René de Chambrun René Aldebert Pineton de Chambrun (23 August 1906 – 19 May 2002) was a French-American aristocrat, lawyer, businessman and author. He practised law at the Court of Appeals of Paris and the New York State Bar Association. He was the author of s ...
, the son-in-law of
Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
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Pierre Laval Pierre Jean Marie Laval (; 28 June 1883 – 15 October 1945) was a French politician. During the Third Republic, he served as Prime Minister of France from 27 January 1931 to 20 February 1932 and 7 June 1935 to 24 January 1936. He again occu ...
, was his nephew. Brazza became a
Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in 1888. He was initiated at the "Alsace-Lorraine" lodge in Paris, on 26 June 1888.


Death and legacy

In September 1905 toward the end of his ''Mission Extraordinaire'', Brazza became sick. On the return voyage to France, when the ship docked in Dakar, he was brought to the hospital where he died at the age of fifty-three with his wife Thérèse at his side. His body was repatriated to France and he was given a state funeral at
Sainte-Clotilde, Paris The Basilica of Saint Clotilde (''Basilique Ste-Clotilde'') is a basilica church in Paris, located on the Rue Las Cases, in the 7th arrondissement. It is best known for its twin spires. History Construction of the church was first mooted by the P ...
, but Thérèse, who always maintained that her husband had been poisoned by the colonial authorities, refused the honor of burial in the Pantheon and buried him temporarily at the cemetery of Père Lachaise in Paris. Later, Thérèse had Brazza's body exhumed and re-interred in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
(capital of present-day
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
). The epitaph on his burial site in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
reads: ''"Une mémoire pure de sang humain"'' ("a memory untainted by human blood").


Tribute

The fish ''
Enteromius brazzai ''Enteromius brazzai'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Enteromius'' which occurs in the central Congo Basin and some other rivers in Gabon, Central African Republic and Cameroon. The fish is named in honor of Franco-Italian explo ...
'' is named in his honor. The catfish '' Atopochilus savorgnani'' is also named in his honor. (The De Brazza's monkey '' Cercopithecus neglectus'' and the
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
shrub ''
Pentadiplandra brazzeana ''Pentadiplandra brazzeana'' is an evergreen shrub or liana that is the only species assigned to the genus ''Pentadiplandra'', and has been placed in a family of its own called Pentadiplandraceae. It produces large red berries, sometimes mottled ...
'', however, are named for his brother Jacques.) The
French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
aviso An ''aviso'' was originally a kind of dispatch boat or "advice boat", carrying orders before the development of effective remote communication. The term, derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word for "advice", "notice" or "warning", an '' ...
, completed in 1933 and sold in 1957, was named for Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza.


Brazzaville Mausoleum

In February 2005 Presidents Nguesso of Congo, Ondimba of Gabon and Chirac of France gathered at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a memorial to Pierre de Brazza, a mausoleum of Italian marble. On 30 September 2006, Brazza's remains were exhumed in Algiers along with those of his wife and four children. They were reinterred in Brazzaville on 3 October in a new, marble mausoleum built for them at a cost of some 10 million
dollars Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
. The reburial ceremony was attended by three African presidents and a French foreign minister, who paid tribute to Brazza's humanitarian work against slavery and the abuse of African workers.


Mausoleum controversy

The decision to honor Brazza as a founding father of the Republic of the Congo has elicited protests among many Congolese. '' Mwinda Press'', the journal of the Association of Congolese Democrats in France wrote articles quoting
Théophile Obenga Théophile Obenga (born 1936 in the Republic of the Congo) is professor emeritus in the Africana Studies Center at San Francisco State University. He is a politically active proponent of Pan-Africanism and an Afrocentrist. Obenga is an Egyptolo ...
who depicted de Brazza as a colonizer and not a humanist. He was declared to have raped a Congolese woman, who was a princess and the equivalent of a
Vestal Virgin In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...
, and to have pillaged villages, raising highly charged questions as to why the colonizer should be revered as a national hero instead of the Congolese who fought against colonization.


Notes


References

* Maria Petringa, ''Brazza, A Life for Africa'', Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006, * Thomas Pakenham, '' The Scramble for Africa'' (1991) * Richard West, ''Brazza of the Congo'' Victorian & Modern History Book Club (1973) * Emanuela Ortis - "Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza: heròs du Friul" (2003) Radici n.9 * Théophile Obenga - Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza à la cour royale du Makoko,
Congolese reaction to the Mausoleum controversy


External links

* , BBC News, 23 September 2006
A site dedicated to Brazza's life and times (in French, Italian and English)




* ttp://globalvoices.org/2006/10/09/congo-brazzaville-should-a-colonizer-be-honored-like-a-founding-father/ Congolese reaction to the Mausoleum controversy ( in French and English)* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brazza, Pierre Savorgnan De 1852 births 1905 deaths People from Castel Gandolfo Explorers of Africa Italian explorers Italian emigrants to France French explorers École Navale alumni French city founders History of Brazzaville People of French Equatorial Africa French Freemasons