An adventure to the outskirts of Europe
n the
spring and summer of the year 1799 Italian Guiseppe Acerbi with his party
wandered through Finnish and Lappish wilderness to the North Cape (Nordkapp),
the northernmost tip of Europe. The journey through Lapland took its course
to Tornio via Oulu and Kemi. From Ylitornio where the road ended at that
time the expedition continued by boats up the river Tornionjoki. From
Köngäs on the party travelled along the difficult river Muonionjoki
up to Palojoki. Before reaching Kautokeino the expedition had crossed
the marshy border area by foot. Acerbi and Skjöldebrand arrived at
the North Cape (Nordkapp) by sea through the Alattio fjord on the 19th
of July in the unreal midnight sunlight.
Three years later Acerbi published a comprehensive volume in English
in which he described the nature, people and customs of Finland. The
publication was meant to be a sensation so it attracted great attention
already at the time of its publication. For later generations Acerbi
has stayed in history as the first foreigner who made all the way from
Tornio to the North Cape by land and wrote a journal of his travels.
