Cesare Poma and the Bollettino di Tianjin: the first Italian periodical in China

Abstract

The essay reconstructs the history of the Bollettino Italiano, the first Italian periodical published in China in 1902 on the initiative of Consul Cesare Poma in Tianjin. Born at a time when the Chinese public sphere was increasingly opening to modern print media, the Bollettino represents an early and significant attempt to promote mutual understanding between Italy and China through trilingual historical and cultural content. Despite its short lifespan, due to the lack of approval from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Poma’s initiative stands out for its foresight and intercultural sensitivity, anticipating by several decades the interest of Italian sinology in the historical contacts between the two countries.