A woman visitor to Athens in 1687
Part of : Balkan studies : biannual publication of the Institute for Balkan Studies ; Vol.37, No.2, 1996, pages 197-206
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197-206
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Articles
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Dr. Jacob Spon and Sir George Wheler are commonly credited with beingthe last travellers to Greece, whose accounts of their visits were published(1678 and 1682 respectively), to see the Parthenon intact. However, AnnaAkerhjelm was there at the time of the Venetian siege of the Acropolis (1687)in the service of the Countess of Königsmark, whose husband was in commandof Morosini’s land forces. We have among others Spon’s and Wheler’s recordof the monuments, and there are extensive accounts of the siege, but a letterand journal of Anna Akerhjelm provide a perspective on the social history ofAthens of the seventeenth century that is unique. Moreover, Anna Akerhjelmdoubtless saw the same virtually intact Parthenon as had Spon and Wheler - albeit from a distance.
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