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Auction: 26015 - "The Treasure of the Eagles" Collection of Albania - Part I
Lot: 3001

(†) Ottoman Albania (1718-1912)
Mail Originating in Ottoman Albania
1718 (April 25). Entire letter from Durrës, sent by Michel Guigou to Nicolò Caragiani (Nikolaos Karaiannis, a famous Greek trader of that time) in Venice, describing pirate attacks by corsairs from Ulcinj (Dulcigno) on an English ship off the port of Durrës (Durazzo). The reverse with manuscript postal rate “18” denari and cocketed "Durazzo 1718/at 25 Aprile". Very fine and fresh. The letter contains exceptionally important contemporary eyewitness testimony, including the following translated passages: “I arrived in good health at this place on the 19th of this month, thanks be to God, not without danger because of the pirates of Ulcinj who, as you know, have committed terrible acts unheard of before (…) I encountered no mishap until the day I entered the port of Durrës, when I saw in the roadstead an English ship with its entire crew massacred by these dogs from Ulcinj (…) although I was flying my flag, the said Ulcinj pirates fired more than twenty shots and, thanks be to God, I was not taken, as the cannonballs passed over me and, I assure you, caused no damage (…) I immediately anchored the ship and sent my clerk aboard the vessel of the Ulcinj pirates to inform them that I was French, whereupon they ceased firing (…) they later came aboard my ship, where I did everything possible to avoid any affront, at the sole cost of a barrel of gunpowder and certain other inducements (…) it is impossible for any vessel to enter this gulf (…) our Ambassador in Constantinople has already been informed of what has been done to French ships, and he has dispatched one of his dragomans, Mr. Fornetti, together with an Aga of the Grand Vizier and a Chiaoux that I saw here (…) the day before yesterday they departed for Ulcinj, and we are now awaiting what the Ambassador of England will undertake, as he will surely present his representations to the Porte for what was done to his ships (…) May God bring order". An exceptionally rare and historically important letter, giving a perspective on Albanian piracy and the active presence of British and French ships in the Adriatic Sea in the early 18th century, considered the most dangerous and ferocious in the entire Mediterranean.

provenance: Markus Gmähle
note: The pirates of Ulcinj (Dulcigno in Italian) were corsairs operating from this city on the Adriatic coast during the 16th–18th centuries. They were skilled mariners who raided ships, traded, and occasionally captured people for ransom or slavery. Some sources suggest that the term "lupo di mare" (sea wolve) may have been inspired by these pirates. According to historical accounts, Miguel de Cervantes was once captured by corsairs from the region, an experience that influenced his writings, including "Don Quixote". These pirates were notorious for their organization and speed, and their legacy is still remembered in Ulcinj’s local legends and museums.

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Estimate
£500 to £1,000

Starting price
£450