▁Co ppet ▁group , ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁or ▁commanded — for ▁Madame ▁de ▁St ael ▁was ▁of ▁chief ▁political ▁importance — to ▁form ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁suite ▁with ▁which ▁the ▁future ▁Cor in ne ▁made ▁the ▁journey ▁to ▁Italy , ▁which ▁contributed ▁to ▁Cor in ne ▁itself ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 8 0 4 – 1 8 0 5 . ▁S ism ond i ▁was ▁not ▁altogether ▁at ▁ease ▁here , ▁and ▁he ▁particularly ▁dis lik ed ▁Sch leg el ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁particip ant . ▁But ▁during ▁this ▁journey ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁Count ess ▁of ▁Alb any , ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Charles ▁Edward , ▁who ▁all ▁her ▁life ▁was ▁gift ed ▁with ▁a ▁singular ▁ability ▁to ▁attract ▁the ▁affection ▁of ▁men ▁of ▁letters . ▁S ism ond i ' s ▁plat onic ▁relationship ▁with ▁her ▁was ▁close ▁and ▁last ed ▁long , ▁and ▁they ▁produced ▁much ▁valuable ▁and ▁interesting ▁correspond ence . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 7 ▁appeared ▁the ▁first ▁volumes ▁of ▁the ▁above - ment ioned ▁book ▁about ▁the ▁Italian ▁republic s , ▁which , ▁though ▁his ▁ess ay ▁in ▁political ▁economy ▁had ▁brought ▁him ▁some ▁reputation ▁and ▁the ▁offer ▁of ▁a ▁Russian ▁professor ship , ▁first ▁made ▁S ism ond i ▁a ▁prominent ▁man ▁among ▁European ▁men ▁of ▁letters . ▁The ▁completion ▁of ▁this ▁book , ▁which ▁extended ▁to ▁six teen ▁volumes , ▁occupied ▁him , ▁though ▁by ▁no ▁means ▁entirely , ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁eleven ▁years . ▁He ▁lived ▁at ▁first ▁in ▁Gene va ▁where