Constantinople (Amicis book)


Constantinople is a non-fiction travelogue book by Edmondo de Amicis published in 1877 regarding Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire, now Istanbul.
Alberto Brambilla of Sorbonne University wrote that the publication of the book and its reception were evidence of Amicis being "one of the best-known Italian authors abroad".

Release

The first edition was published in 1877. The original work had two volumes. Cesare Biseo illustrated an 1882 edition, and Brambilla wrote that this one "will help shape the European imagination towards Istanbul, and the Orient in general." Multiple translations were derived from the Biseo version.
In 2013 a new English translation by Stephen Parkin was released.
A Turkish translation under the title İstanbul was published by Pegasus Yayınları.

Reception

gave a positive reception to the book and Umberto Eco himself used the guide when visiting Constantinople.
PD Smith of The Guardian wrote that the book is "A wonderfully eloquent account".
William Armstrong in Hürriyet Daily News called it "An orientalist bore" with "annoyingly purple prose". Armstrong stated "it isn’t clear what distinguishes De Amicis’ memoir from the dozens of similar tomes written by intrepid Europeans at the time."