Vico Mantegazza, (Milan, 22.1.1856 – Milan, 28.10.1934) was an Italian writer, journalist, photographer, and politician. He is considered the special Italian envoy to Balkan since 1886 where he made numerous reportages. He was director of the “Nation” from 1894 to 1898.
Although he was more a politician than artist, he “earned” his place in this lexicon for his photographs of people from Macedonia in the period 1903/1905. These photographs were published in his book Macedonia from 1903 – where he describes his stay in Macedonia from March until April 1903 and described the political and civil situation on Macedonia before the Ilinden Uprising on August 2nd 1903. Between 1903 and 1908 he develops close relations with Bulgarian government, advocating for Bulgarian view on Macedonian question. He represented Bulgaria at Milan International Exposition in 1906 without speaking Bulgarian language.
He returned to Macedonia in 1908 as a part of the Austro-Hungarian- Turkish railway project of connecting Istanbul – Thessaloniki with train. He reached Monastir (Bitola) where he witnessed of the failure of the reform desired by the European Powers. He realized that the European powers will not succeed to solve Macedonian question neither with principle of single nationality nor with principle of amputation from Ottoman empire. He spoke about his view on the Macedonian question in the book Liberal Turkey and the Balkan issues (ibid. 1908).
