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Engineer Rossini in Dalmatiain the Mid-Eighteenth Century

Abstract

This article focuses on the engineer Giovanni Francesco Rossini (1688–1764), in particular his report on a tour of Dalmatia in 1749, preserved in Vienna. He first visited northern Dalmatia, i.e., the Venetian-Habsburg frontier zone, and then the Venetian-Ottoman border as far as Klek. He returned by ship along the coast, arriving at Zadar, the starting point of his journey. The report begins with Dalmatian cavalry barracks and small frontier forts, then moves on to larger settlements in the Dalmatian hinterland, and finally focuses on the coastal towns. The most interesting and valuable document, however, is the diary of Rossini’s journey, which reveals much about the circumstances and difficulties he faced, such as poor roads and equally bad weather conditions. His notes attest that he was precise, conscientious, and dedicated – an assessment confirmed in the review by the investigating syndics (sindici inquisitori) who had dispatched him on this mission. The article also draws on valuable information about Rossini’s career contained in a document from the Archivio di Stato in Venice.