Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza

Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza photographed by Paul Nadar.
Born	26 January 1852 Castel Gandolfo, Italy
Died	14 September 1905 Dakar, Senegal
Cause of death	dysentery
Nationality	Italian-born French
Occupation	Explorer
Spouse(s)	Thérèse de Chambrun
Relatives	Adolphe de Chambrun (father-in-law) Pierre de Chambrun (brother-in-law) Charles de Chambrun (brother-in-law) René de Chambrun (nephew)

Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, then known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza (26 January 1852 – 14 September 1905), was an Italian-born French explorer. With the backing of the Société de Géographie de Paris, he opened up for France entry along the right bank of the Congo that eventually led to French colonies in Central Africa. His easy manner and great physical charm, as well as his pacific approach among Africans, were his trademarks. Under French colonial rule, the capital of the Republic of the Congo was named Brazzaville after him and the name was retained by the post-colonial rulers.

Born in Castel Gandolfo in the Papal States, near Rome, Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà was the seventh son of Count Ascanio Savorgnan di Brazzà, a nobleman of Udine with many French connections, and his wife Giacinta Simonetti. Pietro was interested in exploration from an early age and won entry to the French naval school at Brest. He graduated as an ensign and sailed on the French ship Jeanne d'Arc to Algeria, where he took part in the crushing of Cheikh Mokrani's revolt.

Brazza first encountered Africa in 1872, while sailing on an anti-slavery mission near Gabon. His next ship was the Vénus, which stopped at Gabon regularly. In 1874 Brazza made two trips into the interior, up the Gabon and Ogooué rivers. He then proposed to the government that he explore the Ogooué to its source. With the help of friends in high places, including Jules Ferry and Leon Gambetta, he secured partial funding, the rest coming from his own pocket. He was granted French citizenship in 1874, and adopted the French spelling of his name. His efforts to gain citizenship had been aided by Louis Raymond de Montaignac de Chauvance,who acted as de Brazza's patron in the early years of his career.