Documents

Travel Diaries

There are two travel diaries of Giovanni Battista Amici conserved in the Fondo Amici at the Estense Library of Modena: the Giornale del viaggio del 1817 da Modena a Firenze, Roma e Napoli (Journal of the trip of 1817 from Modena to Florence, Rome and Naples), kept by his wife Teresa Amici, and the diary of the Viaggio del 1827 a Parigi e Londra col Papà, la Mamma, il Conte G. B. Forni e il Servitore Luigi (Trip of 1827 to Paris and London with Papa, Mama, Count G.B. Forni and our manservant Luigi), kept by his son Vincenzo.

1827 Amici passport issued by the Estense Duchy These contain useful information about the meetings with scientists in the cities visited, about the interest stimulated by the instruments Amici brought with him and about the relationships established in those occasions. The diaries were published for the first time by Paolo Buffa, Viaggi scientifici di Giovan Battista Amici (Scientific Trips of Giovan Battista Amici) “Atti e Memorie dell’Accademia Nazionale di Scienze Lettere e Arti di Modena”, Series VII, vol. VI (1988-1989), pp. 91-130.

1842 Amici passport issued by the Tuscany Grand Duchy They were republished by Giovanna Amici Grossi, I Diari dei viaggi e altri documenti della vita e dell’attività di Giovan Battista Amici (The Travel Diaries and Other Documents from the Life and Work of Giovan Battista Amici) “Atti della Fondazione Giorgio Ronchi”, vol. 6-1996, pp. 873-919; and most recently in Il Libro de’ conti del laboratorio di Giovanni Battista Amici e altri documenti inediti, ed. by A. Meschiari, Tassinari, Florence, 2003, pp. 55-84.