7 The Great Travel 1668-1670

Abstract

The great travel of Stensen through Europe from November 1668 to July 1670 is enveloped in enigmatic obscurity. Judged from the Foreword of the Prodromus, Stensen looks forward to travelling back to Denmark soon after finishing the manuscript (the first censorship stems from August 30, 1668). He remained in Florence until November, and thereafter he travelled south. Not until in January 1669 did he begin slowly to move north. He took his time in Northern Italy and Central Europe to arrive in Holland at the end of the year. From there, this journey took him back to Florence in only about one month. He saw his home again not until 1672. The traveller seems to have carried out, at the service and at the expenses of the Grand Duke, a geological journey in an active attempt to expand and deepen the findings of the Prodromus. The scarce documents from those years fail to explain that long journey and deny that Stensen, actually or erroneously, received a call from his fatherland and that, thereafter, he wanted to hurry home after a short visit in southern Italy. In the south contradictory information met him, but nevertheless he decided on a greater geological journey to Northern Italy and Austria serving his research, always awaiting a renewed call and keeping open his way towards home.