- 12 January 2021
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Sakartvelo: the “Sacred Land”
In 2020 the Artanugi publishing house published a Georgian translation of the historic book “Colchide Sacra” (Sacrid Colchide) of Arcangelo Lamberti, an Italian missionary in Georgia of the seventeenth century. The 480-page book was translated from the original Italian by Giorgi Tskhitishvili and is the first ever publication of a Georgian edition. The first-hand observations of the Italian missionary Lamberti and his companions has as its backdrop a particularly difficult period in Georgian history. Critics have described “Colchis Sacra” as an unparalleled primary source of Georgian historiography.
Lamberti’s work is written after almost nineteen years of living in Georgia. In 1654, Lamberti published in Naples his first book on Georgia, entitled ” Relazione della Colchide oggi detta Mengrelia” (Relation of Colchis today called Mengrelia), in which he described “origine, costumi e cose naturali di quei paesi” (the origin, customs and natural things of those countries)”. This first work of ethnological interest was translated into French, Russian and Georgian at the end of the nineteenth century and reprinted several times right through to 2011.
Subsequently, in 1657, Lamberti published this work, “Colchide Sacra”. In its preface, the author writes that after his first book he did not intended to write another work on Georgia “to leave the field free to other more noble and diligent writers“. However, readers of the time were eager to learn more about the customs and life in Georgia, as well as the activity of the Theatine missionary fathers (also known as the Congregation of Clerics Regular of the Divine Province). Hence, to satisfy the many requests, the learned missionary wrote his memoires in “Colchide Sacra“.
The book recounts the experiences of Lamberti and his companions’ life in Gori, Gremi and Samegrelo, among other places. It describes the religious, political and social situation of the country, the local history, the customs of daily life, the organization of their missions, together with the adventures experienced during their travels. There are numerous tales of seventeenth century life in Georgian when the country was under the heavy influence of the neighboring empires of Persia and Turkey. In particular, he recounts that a month after his arrival in Georgia, King Teimuraz I decided to re-establish the prestigious historical city of Gremi, the capital of Khakheti, and proposed to the Catholic religious to establish a mission there. A Persian army occupied the kingdom of Kartli and on its throne was Rostom-khan, a Muslim Georgian who grew up in Persia. The new king of Kartli decided to marry Levan II’s sister, Dadiani, princess of Odishi. A large embassy was organized in 1633 destined to represent Georgian interests to Persia and Fathers Arcangelo Lamberti and Giuseppe Giudice were invited to be part of that extraordinary diplomatic mission. Their work was met with great appreciation. Prince Levan II Dadiani welcomed the Catholic missionaries and supported their activity in Georgia. Indeed, their mission in Samegrelo, like their mission in Gori, was very much appreciated and they carried out an important pastoral activity. “Sacred Colchis” breathes new life into important historical characters, moments and places.
Thus, “Sacred Colchis” is a primary documentary source for Georgian history, a wonder of archival material relevant to Georgia, Italy and to the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church’s Latin Apostolic Administration of the South Caucasus and the Apostolic Nunciature in Georgia have sponsored this Georgian publication in order that the Georgian public have greater access to this primary historical source. It encourages an ever greater recognition of the friendship and solidarity that has always linked the Catholic Church to the Caucasian population and culture.