Documento - 1918 Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directive to the Consul in Constantinople – Pre-Armistice - 1918

Rome, 17 September 1918 – Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministero degli Affari Esteri).

Official diplomatic directive issued directly by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed to Cavaliere Candido Nani, Consul General of Italy in Constantinople.

Sent during the final weeks of the Ottoman Empire, this document orders the Consul to prepare a detailed administrative and situational report concerning the city and province of Ancona (“Notizie sulla città e provincia di Ancona”).

The directive additionally references:

– Dr. Angelo Gasparrini, former medical officer of the Regia Marina,
– His information-gathering role in the region,
– The consular network’s responsibility to assemble updated political, administrative and demographic data.

Issued only six weeks before the Armistice of Mudros, this ministry-level communication reflects the Italian government's strategic preparation for the post-war reorganization of the Mediterranean and the Ottoman domains.

Such high-level ministerial documents rarely survive in private collections, as most remained in state archives.

This piece is therefore a notable convergence of:

✓ Italian Foreign Ministry history
✓ Late Ottoman administrative structures
✓ WWI diplomatic intelligence
✓ A named Consul General (Cav. Candido Nani)
✓ Pre-occupation geopolitical planning

Condition: Very good for age. Strong ink, fully legible cursive script, original folds. No repairs.
Date: 1918
Country: Italy / Ottoman Empire

A significant and museum-worthy diplomatic document.

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