Alexander Guagnini
Gwagnin is best known for his Latin work Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio, usually translated as Description of Sarmatian Europe, published in Kraków, 1578, which contained descriptions of the countries of Eastern Europe (history, geography, religion, traditions of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia, Ruthenia, Masovia, Prussia, Pomerania).
[a] The earliest biographic information about Alexander Guagnini is recorded by Szymon Starowolski in his "Scriptorum Polonicorum εχατοντας" in 1622.
A new source was introduced for the scientific circulation by Michał Wiszniewski in the mid 19th century, which was a recommendation letter of Russian voivode Mikołaj Sieniawski for Guagninis father and son to the King of Poland Sigismund Augustus[b] dated 25 February 1561.
[c] It contained the following phrase in Old Polish language, "Wloch z Werony pan Ambrozy, z szynem ssvym Alexandrem" (Italian out of Verona Mister Ambrosius with his son Alexander).
In his brief article about life and works of the Italian he provides extended quotes of the Franciszek Bohomolec foreword to the 1768 edition.
As a result of his search in archival storages of Venetia and Verona, the historian discovered unknown earlier sources to biography of his countryman.
In 1960 Włodzimierz Budka edited an article about the chronicler in "Polish biographic dictionary" adding few more interesting details that he found in the Cracow's Archives.
He was born in the city of Verona which was indicated at the publishing of his work, in Latin as Alessandri Guagnini Veronensis and in Polish as Przez Alexandra Gwagnina z Werony.
[g] Military skills Allesandro, possibly, learned already in Poland from his father Ambrogio who, quoting the words of voivode Seniawski was "a person educated in knightly affairs".
[g] More than likely yet in Italy Guagnini learned Latin in which he was writing freely as well as adopted some humanistic ideas of Italian culture.
[g] Gassenkamp shared a thought that Guagnini senior left for Poland where since 1548 ruled Sigismund the Augustus, a son of Italian who was sympathetic towards former countrymen of his mother.
[h] Grounds for that was the exchange of letters between the King of Poland and the Herzog of Prussia during the winter of 1563 which included mentioning of Guagnini.
[i] Maciej Stryjkowski, who was his subordinate, alleged that Guagnini stole a manuscript of the Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all of Ruthenia from him and was not the author of the book.
