From Bologna to Istanbul: An Armenian Edition of Giovanni Aldini’s Fire Safety Manual

The following is a guest post by Armenian and Georgian Specialist Khatchig Mouradian, African and Middle Eastern Division, Near East Section

Ottoman Istanbul was notorious for the frequent fires that ravaged its largely timber-built neighborhoods. Among the many devastating incidents were the Great Fire of 1660, which destroyed two-thirds of the city, and a blaze in August 1833 that consumed half. In this context, a little-known Armenian edition of Giovanni Aldini’s fire safety manual stands out as a remarkable artifact. Preserved in the Library of Congress, it links European scientific innovation with Armenian print culture.

Aldini and his work

Giovanni Aldini (1762–1834) was an Italian physicist born in Bologna, Italy. He was the nephew of Luigi Galvani, the pioneer of bioelectricity. Aldini dedicated much of his career to promoting his uncle’s work on animal electricity, conducting experiments on galvanic reanimation that inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Aldini later turned his attention to problems such as lighthouse illumination and fire prevention. Among his inventive contributions were his designs for fireproof suits and protective devices for firefighters, which he described in detail in his 1833 Italian publication.

Aldini’s work on protection from fires circulated across Europe. His French Art de se préserver de l’action de la flamme and the English A Short Account of Experiments Made in Italy and Recently Repeated in Geneva and Paris for Preserving Human Life and objects of value from Destruction by Fire both presented his fire safety methods but with different emphases. The French edition, published in 1830, focused on instructions aimed at both scientific and civic circles. The English version, published the same year, functioned more as a promotional piece, describing public demonstrations and potential benefits for insurance companies and municipal fire services.

In contrast, the Italian text, Istruzione popolare sull’arte di preservarsi dall’azione della fiamma, and the Armenian version based on it—are more technical, offering instructions on materials, diagrams, and reflections on protecting human life.

An Armenian edition predating the Italian original? 

Aldini’s Italian manual on fire safety was published in 1833. It offered detailed instructions, diagrams, and practical strategies for surviving and preventing fires. Yet two years before its publication, an Armenian version of the same manual was printed by the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic monastic order, in Venice.

The Armenian booklet, titled Ալտինի ասպետին գտած կրակի մէջ անվնաս մնալու գիւտը (“Knight Aldini’s Findings on Remaining Unharmed in Fire”), is a largely faithful rendering of the original Italian edition, adapted to resonate with Armenian readers in the Ottoman capital. Written in the first person, the 15-page text includes several localized references to Istanbul and its frequent fires. A modified version of the title appears on the first page, expanded with the phrase “that may be necessary for Istanbulites.” One passage toward the end states: “Such events [loss of life during fires] often occur in Istanbul, where houses turn into ash within a few hours” (p. 11). These references are not found in the Italian version and were likely added by the unnamed translator to situate the text more directly within the Ottoman urban context. The illustrations and diagrams remain largely identical to the original, with only minor deviations.

How Aldini’s Armenian booklet predates the well-documented Italian edition requires further research. It is likely that the Mekhitarists, well-connected with the European intellectual and scientific circles, had access to an earlier draft, or even an obscure printed edition, of Aldini’s work. While every reference I have consulted confirms 1831 as the publication date, the possibility of a misprint on the cover cannot be entirely dismissed.

The Mekhitarists of San Lazzaro Island in Venice, founded in the early 18th century, played a transformative role in Armenian culture through their prolific scholarly and printing activities. They produced grammars, dictionaries, religious texts, and scholarly treatises that helped standardize modern Armenian and sustained a vibrant intellectual network across the Armenian diaspora. Their press in Venice also sought to bring European scientific and technological advancements into Armenian hands.

In an earlier blog, I wrote about a booklet by Elia Endasian, a Mkhitarist who was a keen follower of the scientific advances of his time, titled, “A Brief History of the Gas Balloon.” The Mekhitarists published the work in 1785, less than two years after the first manned, untethered hot air balloon and hydrogen balloon flights. Endasian’s booklet was a hit in Constantinople, where 600 copies were sold in just 20 days!

The Armenian edition of Aldini’s manual is preserved in the African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress. A scanned version is available on the library’s Armenian Rarities Collection.

This book is a fascinating instance of how science, print culture, and community defense could converge; a flame of knowledge carried from the laboratories of Europe to the wooden quarters of Istanbul.