Carlo Piaggia

Born in Badia Cantignano, a frazione of Capannori, in the province of Lucca, Italy.

He was born to a poor family and only acquired an elementary formal education.

In 1849, his mother, two of his four sisters, and three of his seven brothers died of typhus; this is cited as one of the factors that motivated him to leave Lucca via Livorno.

In 1860, in a trip funded by the Italian Geographical Society, he accompanied Orazio Antinori to the Sudan, along the Bahr el Ghazal river,[3] and traveling among the Zande people during 1863-1865.

In 1871, he worked with Antinori exploring Eritrea in the region of the Anseba River.