Eugène de Sartiges

Eugène de Sartiges (1809–1892) entered diplomacy as an attaché at Rome in 1830. Alongside his official career, he developed a sustained interest in antiquities and travel. His journey through Peru and Bolivia in 1833–1835 produced observations, drawings, and archaeological notes that were only partly published during his lifetime. ^{1, 2}

At Choquequirao he examined and recorded Inca ruins with the assistance of local guides and workers. He also drew on maps and information supplied by people already familiar with the region, including Clemente Althaus and José María Bozo. Pascal Riviale’s study of surviving family papers shows how much archaeological material Sartiges omitted from the more literary travel accounts he published in 1851 under the name E. S. de Lavandais. ²

In Washington, Sartiges worked with British representative John Fiennes Twisleton Crampton on the proposed 1852 agreement over Cuba. France and Britain wanted the three powers to renounce acquisition of the island and discourage attempts to seize it. Sartiges pressed Daniel Webster for a response and argued that Cuba’s position on maritime routes made its future an international concern. Edward Everett’s reply of 1 December rejected a permanent undertaking that would restrict American options. ³

Sartiges subsequently served in the Netherlands and Italy, including as ambassador at Rome from 1864 to 1868. Appointed to the imperial Senate in August 1868, he supported Napoleon III’s government and withdrew from political life after its fall. ¹