«Caro amico…»: Correspondence between Lodovico Nocentini (1849-1910) and Sidney Sonnino (1884-1899)

The article aims to present the correspondence between Nocentini and Sidney Sonnino preserved in the Sonnino Archive at Montespertoli Castle. The correspondence (30 letters) spanning from 1884 to 1899 covers the main events in Nocentini’s working and academic life: his years in China as interpreter at the Italian Legation in Shanghai, his return to Italy and his entry into the academic world at the Regio Istituto Orientale in Naples, and finally his arrival at the University of Rome. The letters exchanged with Sonnino, an important politician, several times minister and later head of gov- ernment, allow us to broaden and better define Nocentini’s personality and interests both as a man and as a scholar, helping to add important elements to his biography. Likewise, the correspondence will help clarify how much the friendship with Sonnino may have influenced Nocentini’s working life.