Francesco Maria Ageno was appointed three times minister to the Court of St James's by the Most Serene Republic of Genoa. During his long permanence in London – his mission started in 1760 and ended up in 1780 –, he was able to promptly update his government about the stunning events that were about to radically transform not only Great Britain but the whole world. In his correspondence, Ageno carefully described the inception of the colonial uprising in North America, the revolutionary war, and the birth of the new republic. A mercurial character, whose life was characterized by intemperance and prodigality, Ageno became also a habitué of the more fashionable salons of the English capital. At Schomberg House, the residence of Richard and Maria Cosway, where the couple used to host exhilarating musical soirées, very likely Ageno had the chance to meet Baretti, another regular of the a la mode venues of the time.