Name of Object:

Uadi-Merdùm [Wadi Merdum]. Count Sforza and the Interpreter Maffei Transcribe a Roman Inscription Brought to their Attention by 'Natives'

Other name of the Object (second name):

The members of an Italian mission to Libya, aimed at assessing local mining resources, transcribe a Roman inscription

Name in original language:

Uadi-Merdùm. Il conte Sforza e l’interprete Maffei trascrivono un’iscrizione romana segnalata dagli indigeni

Location:

Rome, Italy

Holding Institution:

Italian Geographical Society (SGI)

 About Italian Geographical Society (SGI), Rome

Holding Institution (original language):

Società Geografica Italiana (SGI)

Date of Object:

14–15 July 1911

Description:

In 1911, before the war broke out, Count Sforza and Ignazio Sanfilippo were touring Libya on a mission to assess local resources, sponsored by the Libyan branch of the Banco di Roma. Their parallel interest in Roman archaeology – testified by this photo – is meaningful for the connection between Italians’ claims of their Roman heritage and Italian colonial ambitions.
In the opinion of Italian colonialists the discovery of Roman antiquities in Libya brought support to Italian argument that Italy had an historic right to rule over Libya.

Archival or Bibliographical Reference:

Archivio fotografico, UBFC: 216/4/67

Citation of this web page:

Patrizia Pampana, Giulia Barrera "Uadi-Merdùm [Wadi Merdum]. Count Sforza and the Interpreter Maffei Transcribe a Roman Inscription Brought to their Attention by 'Natives'" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2025.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;it;1;en

Prepared by: Patrizia Pampana, Giulia Barrera
Copyedited by: Anne Dowell

MWNF Working Number: IT1 001