Athanasius Kircher Correspondence about Museum

Athanasius Kircher to Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi)

• (1662-09-20) Kircher thanks the received medal of the Pope, which he exhibits in the Museum. APUG Ms. 555, f. 178rv. Transcription published in BARTOLA, 1989.
• (no date) Kircher asks the Pope to authorize that Elisabetha Palatina, wife of the Duke of Luneburg, visits the Roman College and the Professed House to see "his museum" and the library. APUG Ms. 555, f. 102rv

Athanasius Kircher to August II of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

• (1666-03-18) Link

Athanasius Kircher to Raimondo Montecuccoli

• (1675-06-18) Link

Johann Friedrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, to Athanasius Kircher

• Four letters related to the gift of a crocodile from the Duke, as requested by Kircher, which is described in the museum catalogue of 1678:

(1652-04-06) APUG Ms. 556, f. 156r-157v; (1652-05-04) APUG Ms. 556, f. 154r-155v; (1652-10-02) APUG Ms. 135r-136v; (1652-11-03) APUG Ms. 137r-138v.

Johannes Fridericus Reinhard, secretary to the Elector of Saxony, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1680-02-10) Reinhard thanks Kircher for the affection expressed towards the figure of the Elector through the courtesy shown to D. Henricus Liber, baron of Frisen, Camerarius and Consiliarius to the Ellector, who visited Kircher's museum during his trip to Italy. APUG Ms.166, f. 101r-102v.

Johann Friedrich, Count of Waldstein, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1667-09-28) Among other subjects, the count sends Kircher a portrait of himself. The portrait is listed on the museum catalogue of 1678, in a passage in which the count is identified as an extraordinary benefactor of the museum and of learning.

Raimond Sanset de Puiy to Athanasius Kircher

• (1677-11-02) De Puiy reminisces about admirable things seen at Kircher's museum . APUG Ms. 565, f. 247rv.

Manfredo Settala to Athanasius Kircher

• (1674-02-02) Settala comments on Kircher no longer guiding visitors to the Roman College "gallery", mentions some recent illustrious visitors to his own collection, promises to send asbestos as requested by Kircher, and briefly notes on newly acquired objects from Asia, Congo, and Brazil. APUG Ms. 566, f. 35arv, 35rv.

Cesare Paleari to Athanasius Kircher

• (1664-03-16). Among other subjects, Paleari asks that Kircher admits to his museum the bearer of the letter, the gentleman Sig. Lazzaro di Corte. APUG Ms. 562, f. 108r-109v.

Filippo Nardi to Athanasius Kircher

• (1655-01-14) Mentions the desire to have visited Kircher's museum. APUG Ms. 555, f. 243rv.

Filippo Sbarra to Athanasius Kircher

• (1669-07-19) Sbarra mentions the wondrous things shown by Kircher at his "Gallery" as inspiration for his own inventions, one of each - his stenographia - he sends to Kircher. APUG Ms. 564, f. 150rv.

Baldassar Sozzifonti to Athanasius Kircher

• (1677-12-10) Mentions a visit to the museum. APUG Ms. 566, f. 28r-29v.
• (1679-05-30) Sozzifonti thanks Kircher in advance for the museum catalogue that was sent to him. APUG Ms. 566, f. 35rv/

Raffaello Maffei to Athanasius Kircher

• (1662-03-27) Among several subjects, Maffei gifts Kircher with an inkstand (calamaio) made from 5 types of alabaster/marble, which is listed in the 1678 catalogue of the museum. APUG Ms. 559, f. 110rv.

Giovanni Giacomo Scafili, Secretary of Trepani, to Athanasius Kircher

• XXX letters related to gifts of coral and shell specimens sent from Scafili to Kircher, which are mentioned in the catalogue from 1678.

(1652-12-04) APUG Ms. 568, f. 141r-142v; (1653-01-13) APUG Ms. 568, f. 167rv; (1653-03-03) APUG Ms. 568, f. 145r-146v; (1653-04-17) APUG Ms. 568, f. 139r-140v; (1654-08-22) APUG Ms. 568, f. 165rv; (1655-05-16) APUG Ms. 568, f. 163rv; (1655-09-12) APUG Ms. 568, f. 158r-159v; (1655-12-19) APUG Ms. 568, f. 156rv

• (1656-02-13) Among other subjects, Scafili comments on Kircher's report of the visit of Queen Christina of Sweden to his museum and the machines created for the occasion. APUG Ms. 568, f. 160r-161v

Philipp Müller, SJ, and Athanasius Kircher

• (1655-09-14) Fr. Müller discusses, among other subjects, a portrait of King Leopold I (later emperor), to be made in the same dimensions and quality of the portraits of the Emperor Ferdinand III and of the deceased King Ferdinand IV. These portraits are listed in the 1678 catalogue of the museum. APUG Ms. 561, f. 144rv
• (1668-03-17) Kircher, among other subjects, mentions a planned visit from the cardinal-nephew (Rospigliosi) to the Roman College and the improvements he was making to his Gallery for the illustrious visitor. The Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici was also expected to visit the museum soon. Link
• (1675-02-09) Fr. Müller, among other subjects, comments on Kircher's report of the donation made by Raimondo Montecucoli to the Museum (which is listed in the catalogue from 1678). APUG Ms. 566, f. 175rv.

Domenico Brunacci, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1668-10-12) Brunacci, then rector of the Roman College, orders Kircher and his companion to return to the college as soon as possible to put the museum in order before the visit of Cardinal Leopold of Medici. APUG Ms. 564, f. 165rv.

Heinrich Roth, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1664-09-07) Mentions the portraits of three Asian "kings" sent to Kircher, which are listed in the 1678 catalogue of the museum. Link

Christophoris Stanislaus Gruszynski, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1672-01-21) Gruszynski mentions a monument from 1625 related to China which had been incorporated into the museum. APUG Ms. 560, f. 135rv.

Stanislaus Koprowski, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1664-03-01) Koprowski thanks Kircher for putting up at the museum a picture that he painted. APUG Ms. 563, f. 288rv.

Joannes Grueber, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• (1664-10-09) Grueber mentions the three portraits of Asian "kings" previously sent to Kircher. APUG Ms. 562, f. 122r-v.
• (1665-10-20) Grueber promises to send to Kircher Fr. Heinrich Roth's Thesaurus of the Indian language. Roth's manuscripts about India are listed in the museum catalogue of 1678. Link
• (1666-02-26) Grueber promises to send Fr. Roth's manuscripts along with Grueber's own description of their trip from China to Europe by land and any Chinese material that might be useful to Kircher. Several Chinese objects and manuscripts about China are listed in the 1678 catalogue, and Grueber's travel report was one of the sources for Kircher's China illustrata. Link

Kaspar Schott to Athanasius Kircher

• (ca. 1655-12) Schott comments that the Fr. Provincial wants him to "describe and print" Kircher's gallery. Link
• (1656-04-01) Schott comments of Queen Christina of Sweden's visit to the museum. Link
• (1656-10-21) Schott asks Kircher for a quick report on his "Gallery", particularly the novelties added after his departure from the Roman College, as he wants to make an illustrated description to be published in print both separately and within his 'Magia Universale Naturæ et Artis. Link
• (1657-01-06) Schott is happy for Fr. Valentin Stansel's recovery and his continuous involvement with the Museum Kircherianum. Link
• (1657-06-16) Schott asks Kircher to send him Fr. Valentin Stansel's description of the "Gallery" or at least the main parts of it to be inserted in his Magia Universale Naturæ et Artis. Link

Nicolò Mascardi, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher:

• (1671-02-10) Two versions of a letter written from Chile, with observations regarding astronomy, geography, the seas, people's habits and beliefs, agriculture, animals, and plants, in latin and in italian. A manuscript from Mascardi regarding these subjects is listed in the museum catalogue from 1678.

Valentin Stansel, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher:

• (1659-03-26) From Lisbon, Stansel sends some "trinkets" he was able to buy locally: a Brazilian nut called "coccum", Canna indica seeds, a coconut from the Maldives, and fruits from a Brazilian tree called Sementilhas or coquilhos with which rosaries were made. These objects are listed in Bonanni's catalogue of the museum published in 1709.Link
• Five letters in which Stansel discusses with Kircher the publication of works concerning geographic and astronomical observations from Brazil. These manuscripts are listed in the museum catalogue from 1678: (1664-08-04); (1666-08-10) ; (1669-06); (1670-06-09); (1674-04-20);

Andreas Schaffer, SJ, to Athanasius Kircher

• Several letters dealing with the collection of information and specimens of minerals from Hungarian mines under Kircher's request, which were incorporated into the museum and informed the writing of Kircher's Mundus subterraneus.

(1659-07-19) APUG 567, f. 115rv
(1659-10-06) APUG 559, f. 133rv
(1659-12-21) APUG 559, f. 134rv
(1660-02-19) APUG 558, f. 35rv
(1660-03-19) APUG 558, f. 51rv
(1660-04-01) APUG 558, f. 50rv
(1660-04-25) APUG 559, f. 137rv
(1660-07-08) APUG 559, f. 132rv
(1661-05-20) APUG 558, f. 37rv

2) Carteggio Kircher – Alexandro Favián, già publicatto in ROMERO, La luz imaginaria:
APUG 555, fol. 154r–155v
APUG 567, fol. 4r–v
APUG 558, fols 120r–141v
APUG 563, fols 232r–233v
APUG 562, fol. 14r–v
APUG 565, fol 137r–145v
APUG 562, fol.16r
APUG 562, fol. 130r-v
APUG 562, fols 4r–5v
APUG 562, fol. 80r–v
APUG 564, fol. 126r
APUG 562, fol. 116r
APUG 565, fol. 189r–193r
APUG 565, fol. 154r–157r + fol. 157v-160r
APUG 565, fol. 160v-161v
APUG 565, fol. 134r–136v
APUG 558, fol. 91r–v
APUG 558, fol. 112r–v
APUG 564, fols 21r–22v
APUG 564, fols 167r–168v
APUG 565, fol. 50r–v
APUG 562, fol. 154v-r
APUG 562, fol. 157r
APUG 558, fol. 85r–v
APUG 559, fols 27r–31v
APUG 559 fols 32r-34r
APUG 564 fols 170r-171v
APUG 564, fol. 107r
APUG 564, fol. 109r-v
APUG 565, fol. 89r–v

• Annotated copy of the will of Alfonso Donnini, bequeathing the contents of his Gallery to the Collegio Romano. In APUG 558, c. 142

There are also Filippo Bonanni correspondence in APUG 577 III