Dr. Vasilis Sabatakakis (Modern Greek Studies, Lund University) will address the topic «”People are very polite, enjoyable and healthy, they live well and have fun”. Swedish travelers’ narratives from 18th century Greece» (lecture in English).
Abstract
Since the mid-17th century several Swedish travellers visited Greece for the purpose of seeing the leavings of the ancient times, finding manuscripts of the New Testament, examining plants and herbs and more. Among these travellers, two of them inherited us valuable material: Jacob Jonas Björnståhl and Adolf Fredrik Sturtzenbecker. Björnståhl visited Thessaly, and he was the first scientist to visit this part of Greece. Adolf Fredric Sturtzenbecker visited Thessaloniki, Epirus, Thessaly and Central Greece. Both died in Greece leaving behind travel journals and many notes that reveal an interesting picture of Greece of that period.