Valle Pietro

Valle, Pietro della (April 11, 1586, Rome – April 21, 1652, Rome) — Italian enlightner, public figure, traveler, orientalist, writer, theologian, diplomat, and musicologist. He was fluent in many languages and belonged to one of Rome’s distinguished aristocratic families.

From 1614 to 1626, he traveled through the Eastern countries — including the Ottoman Empire, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Persia, and India — spending several years at the court of Shah Abbas I. During this time, he became acquainted with Georgians living in Persia, among them Queen Ketevan, with whom he corresponded. Based on these interactions, he wrote detailed descriptions of Georgia and the Georgian people.

On March 28, 1626, Valle returned to Rome and presented a report on Georgia to Pope Urban VIII (published in 1627). In it, Valle sought to convince the Vatican authorities that Georgia — an independent Christian state — could eventually become a Catholic country, which, in his view, would be beneficial in the future. However, he argued that the Vatican and the broader Catholic world had shown unacceptable indifference toward Georgia’s plight and should become actively engaged with its difficult political situation.

In his “Report,” Valle described Georgia’s geography, social structure, and ecclesiastical organization, as well as Shah Abbas I’s policy toward the country. He referred to the Shah’s mass deportation of tens of thousands of Georgians to Persia as “the Great Georgian Deportation.”

Discussing King Teimuraz I, Valle noted his pro-Russian orientation. His portrayal of Giorgi Saakadze was largely negative, depicting him as a renegade and traitor to Georgia, though at the end of the report he briefly acknowledged Saakadze’s later positive role, particularly in thwarting Shah Abbas’s treacherous plans against Georgia.

According to Valle (writing in 1627), the principalities of Odishi and Guria warmly received Cossacks who lived near the mouth of the Dnieper River. He also mentioned that the King of Poland maintained correspondence and friendly relations with Georgian rulers and that “trading ships often sailed between the countries, and Cossacks frequently protected the princes’ merchant vessels.”

The Georgian translation of Valle’s “Report” was first published in 1879 in the newspaper Iveria. Valle was also a key figure in organizing the Catholic (Theatine) mission in Georgia and, along with Nikifore Irbakh (Nikoloz Cholokashvili), was among the initiators of publishing the first Georgian printed books in Rome. He took an active part in founding a Catholic college in Rome for young Georgians.

Valle later married a Georgian woman, Tinatin-Maria Dziba, whom he had redeemed from captivity at the Persian court, and they had fourteen children. In a letter dated May 18, 1630, to Pietro Avitabile, Valle wrote:

“Georgia is always in my heart. My love for this country has only grown stronger. I am indebted... to the Georgian people. As a sign of this affection, I named my daughter Romiberi (Rome and Iberia), because I wish our two nations always to remain closely united.”

Literature: Ватейшвили Дж. Л., Грузия и европейские страны, т. 1, кн. 2, М., 2003; Полиевктов М. А., Европейские путешественники XIII–XVIII вв. по Кавказу, Тфл., 1935.

E. Mamistvalishvili