Slavko Burzanovic

L'articolo tratta il diario di viaggio del volontario italiano Pierluigi Albini, che visitò il Montenegro durante la Prima guerra balcanica (1912-1913). Facendo riferimento al contesto della sua visita, gli autori affrontano il motivo del suo arrivo, gli eventi di viaggio descritti nel suo manoscritto, nonché i fatti che collocano il suo diario tra le fonti storiche per lo studio delle relazioni tra il Montenegro e l'Italia durante questa campagna di guerra nei Balcani. Confrontando il diario di Albini con le relazioni di viaggio di altri autori italiani pubblicati non solo in occasione delle Guerre balcaniche, ma anche in altre circostanze storiche, si evidenziano le possibili influenze di queste opere sulla rappresentazione del Montenegro e dei Montenegrini nel manoscritto di Albini.

During the European crisis caused by the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 1908, Italy and Montenegro established the most intense political cooperation in the history of their mutual relations thus far. The Italian support was influential for the partial abolishment and modification, to
Montenegro’s advantage, of the Article 29 of the Treaty of Berlin from 1878, which limited the sovereignty of Montenegro in its coastal territories. In consequence to the investment of the Italian capital in the construction of the Port of Bar, Italy was directly involved in the question. During the crisis, Montenegro, had requested from Austria-Hungary, though to no avail, also territorial compensations, primarily in the Spič region and the Herzegovina borderlands. Intervening for Montenegrin interests, Italian diplomacy closely collaborated with the Russian and the British
diplomacy. The efforts of the Entente Forces and Italy to resolve all issues which had arisen from the act of annexation at the Conference of the contracting powers of the Treaty of Berlin, including the issue of the compensation for Montenegro, however
had no results.
The crisis ended in the beginning of April 1909 thanks to the Italian mediation in the normalization of relations between Montenegro and Austria-Hungary.

In the period from the eighteen-sixties till the outbreak of World War II the intensity of the ever-present Italian interest in the Balkans, and more specifically in Montenegro, has suffered
a change. While this interest was intense during the Great Eastern Crisis, it weakened significantly in the eighteen-eighties. The year 1896 represents a turning point for the Italian foreign policy, as it
was the year in which Italy turned its attention towards the Balkans. Dynastic ties were established with Montenegro, followed by the intense economic relations at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Italian diplomacy initially observed the affairs in Montenegro through its Shkodra consulate, and afterwards through a special diplomatic agent accredited by Prince Nikola Petrovic, finally establishing the Italian embassy in Cetinje in 1879. During the entire period of the existence of the independent state of Montenegro, the Italian diplomacy saw it as an exponent of the Russian policy in the Balkans, as confirmed by the numerous reports of its diplomats. These reports moreover demonstrate the opposition of the Italian and the Russian interests in the Balkans, as well as the process of their coming together, which resulted in their alliance in World War II.

This text is an introductory study to the Diary of the count
Serafin Macolini for which he states that enriches knowledge
about Italian occupation and the attempted renewal of
Montenegrin State in the context of expanding fascistic Italia on
the Balkans.

The Fundamental Statute or Constitution of the Kingdom of
Montenegro, the restitution of which Italians proclaimed in July 1941,
was never officially adopted. One draft of this document has been
saved in the legacy of the fascist legal expert C.A. Bidini. It is published
for the first time in Montenegrin translation. This act was drafted
during May 1941 under the large influence of the fascist public-law
theory and practice.

The present paper deals with the missions of Mr. Cesare Durando to Montenegro during his acting in the capacity of both a special diplomatic emissary in the time of Montenegrin- Turkish War of 1876-1878 and the Chargé d’Affaires in the Italian Legation in Cetinje between 1879-1883.

"From the 70s of the 19th century to 1943, numerous Italian
researchers and scientists were interested in the ancient roman
heritage located in Montenegro. The Italian government recognized
its interests to allocate financial and political support to
the archaeologists in Montenegro, for the purposes of their
Balkan and Mediterranean policy. The most significant reflection
of such policy was the work of an Italian interdisciplinary
scientific mission in Montenegro in 1902. Nevertheless, Italy
never undertook any systematic explorations in Montenegro.
During the World War II, the rhetoric of the conquerors on the
protection of Roman heritage resulted in an irretrievable deprivation
of a large portion of ancient roman heritage from Montenegro."