A traveller from Mantua in Lapland
iuseppe Acerbi was born on the 3rd of May in 1773 in Castel Goffredo,
Italy. In his early years he was educated by his parents, later by a
private tutor. Language studies played an important role and in addition
to his native Italian Acerbi had a good command of French, German and
English. It was taken for granted in the 18th century that a well-educated
man had a command of Latin and knowledge of Classical literature. It
was not only the humanistic studies that were central in Acerbi's education,
he was also acquainted with science. Giuseppe Acerbi, a man with versatile
talents, was well provided for later life by his home and family. Acerbi
studied at the university of Pavia where he received a degree in law
at the age of 21. There is no denying that Acerbi was a man of versatile
talents and thorough education. A good upbringing, a wide though superficial
knowledge base in combination with excellent language skills were to
a great avail for Acerbi. He also had talents in music, literature and
art. Giuseppe Acerbi is an embodiment of the ideals of the era, a child
of his times, a cultural personality.
Journal
During Acerbi's time geography had become a fashionable science and travel
literature had a central part in the cultural life of the 18th century.
It is highly probable that it was also Acerbi's aim to write a book of
his travels when he set out on his long journey to the outskirts of Europe,
to the North Cape. During the course of the journey Acerbi kept a journal.
The 18th century was the golden era for journals, letters and memoirs.
The notebook on the journey to Lapland, preserved at the communal library
of Mantova , offers an opportunity to follow, day by day, the progress
of the journey towards the northernmost point of Europe. The journal is
filled with notes on the fauna, flora and minerals. Acerbi also drew sketches
of local natural scientific and ethnographical specialities and Acerbi
characterised his journey as a scientific expedition. The journey that
had started as an expedition turned into an ambitious sporting undertaking
when the journey advanced more and more north.
The travelling party
Acerbi's travelling companion was Bernardo Bellotti, a son of a bank
manager from Brescia. The Swedish companion, A.F.Skjöldebrand,
joined the party in Stockholm. In Oulu the party was joined by apothecary
Johan Julin, a specialist in botany and meteorology and by district
doctor Henric Deutsch, a specialist in entomology. In Kemi vicar Matthias
Castrén joined the party and all the way to Ylitornio he was
the authority in botany for Acerbi.
