He was born in Trani in Apulia, but mainly resided in Naples and later Rome. As an infant, Piccinni was left nearly deaf by an illness. As a young man, he moved to Naples to work under the painter Biagio Molinaro, by the 1860s he had enrolled in the Institute of Fine Arts of Naples, and studied engraving. In 1872, he won a stipend to study in the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. He still relayed engravings for sale by the Neapolitan "Società Promotrice delle Belle Arti", and maintained a contract with the Royal Office of Engraving (Calcografia).

In 1878 he participated in the Universal Exposition in Paris with several works including 12 unpublished etchings, gathered in an album titled "Souvenirs de Rome", with a preface by Jules Claretie. He was named Honorary Professor of the Institute of Fine Arts of Naples.

In 1877 at Naples, he exhibited an acquaforte engraving depicting: Revolution of Masaniello; in 1888 at Turin, Portraits of Vittorio Emanuele and King Umberto and I centesimi dell' avaro. At Rome, in 1883, he exhibited: A predica; at Venice, in 1887, a watercolor depicting: Un fiammiferaio; at Bologna, in 1888, two watercolors titled: The birichino and Una giovanetto.

Admiral G. B. Magnaghi, director of the Italian Hydrographic Institute of the Navy hired him in 1889 to produce vedute of the coast and nautical charts. He was offered a stable pension in a supervisory position, office in Rome, and travel on a ship, the Washington, to circumnavigate around the Italian coast.^[1] In 1904, after admiral Magnaghi died, Piccinni contract was not renewed, but he remained with the Navy until 1917. After 25 years of service, Piccinni was retired on a paltry pension.^[2]