Born 1586.—Died 1652.
Born at Rome—Education and early life—Sails from
Venice—Constantinople—Plain of Troy—Manuscript of Livy—The
plague—Visits Egypt—Mount Sinai—Palestine—Crosses the northern
desert of Arabia—An Assyrian beauty—Falls in love from the
description of a fellow-traveller—Arrives at Bagdad—Tragical
event—Visits the ruins of Babylon—Marries—Beauty of his
wife—Departure from Bagdad—Mountains of Kurdistan—Enters
Persia—Ispahan—Wishes to make a crusade against the
Turks—Travels, with his harem, towards the Caspian Sea—Tragical
adventure of Signora della Valle—Arrives at Mazenderan—Enters
into the service of the shah, and is admitted to an
audience—Expedition against the Turks—Pietro does not engage
in the action—Disgusted with war—Returns to Ispahan—Domestic
misfortunes—Visits the shores of the Persian Gulf—Sickness
and Maani—Pietro embalms the body of his wife, and carries
it about with him through all his travels—Sails for India,
accompanied by a young orphan Georgian girl—Arrives at
Surat—Cambay—Ahmedabad—Goa—Witnesses a suttee—Returns to the
Persian Gulf—Muskat—Is robbed in the desert, but preserves the
body of his wife—Arrives in Italy—Magnificent funeral and tomb
of Maani—Marries again—Dies at Rome 149