Tra immagini e memorie
Scoprendo l’Abcasia con gli occhi di Carla Serena
abstract
The article Excursion au Samourzakan et en Abkasie published in the journal Le Tour du Monde was written by the famous lady traveller Carla Serena after two expeditions in Samurzakano and Abkhazia in 1876 and 1881. Her essay provides noteworthy insights from a variety of perspectives, such as historical remarks (especially on the Russo-Turkish war), geographical notes, linguistic observations, and detailed accounts of ethnographical interest. Not only was Carla Serena the first Western woman who travelled alone in the Caucasus but she also was the first photographer who took pictures of Abkhazia, as most of the engravings appeared in the essay were made after her own photographs.
Keywords: Early photographs • Travel writing • Carla Serena • Abkhazia • Caucasus