Vittorio Bottego

Vittorio Bottego
Vittorio Bottego in 1889
Born(1860-07-29)29 July 1860
Died17 March 1897(1897-03-17) (aged 36)
Occupations
  • Army officer
  • Explorer
Known forBeing one of the first Western explorers of Jubaland in the Horn of Africa
Parent(s)Agostino Bottego and Maria Bottego (née Asinelli)
AwardsGold Medal of Military Valor
Military career
AllegianceKingdom of Italy
Service / branchRoyal Italian Army
Years of service1887–1897
RankCapitano

Vittorio Bottego (Italian pronunciation: [vitˈtɔːrjo ˈbɔtteɡo]; Parma, 29 July 1860 – Dhaga Roba, 17 March 1897) was an Italian army officer and one of the first Western explorers of Jubaland and southern Ethiopia, where he led two expeditions. He was the first European explorer to follow the course of the lower Omo River to its confluence with Lake Turkana and to reach Lake Abaya, which he renamed Lake Margherita after Queen Margherita of Savoy wife of King Humbert I of Italy.