BEMBO, Ambrosio. Venice 10.3.1652 — Venice 4.6.1705. Italian Traveller. Born of a great Venetian family, son of Francesco Bembo and Caterina Corner. Served in the unsuccessful defense of Crete against the Ottomans in 1669. In 1671 followed his uncle Marco to Aleppo, where the uncle was the new Venetian consul. After 14 months decided to travel further and joined two Franciscans going to India. They went first to Baghdad and Basra, then to Iranian coast and India, where Bembo spent more than a year in Goa and other Portuguese colonies. In February 1674 he sailed to Iran and went to Lar, Shiraz and Isfahan, in July visited Persepolis, also saw the sculptures of Naqš-e Rustam. In September to Baghdad and Aleppo, arrived at Venice in April 1675. Later served in Venetian navy.
Publications: Viaggio e giornale per parte dell’ Asia di Quattro anni incirca fatto de ma Ambrosio Bembo Nobile Veneto. Ed. Antonio Invernizzi. 454 p. 85 pl. Turin 2005; translated by. Clara Bargellini, The Travels and Journal of Ambrosio Bembo. Ed. Anthony Welch. 470 p. Berkeley 2007.
Sources: *G. Pedrini, Sguardi veneziani a Oriente: A.B. e il suo viaggio per parte dell’Asia. Diss. Venice 2011; U. Tucci, Diz. biogr. degli Italiani. 8, 1966 (online Treccani);
A. Welch, Encyclop. Iranica 2021 (online) with further references; Italian Wikipedia.
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