Non-living naturalia in Clusius's correspondence, Part II. Minerals, strange stones, fossils and earths as objects of exchange in the respublica litteraria around Clusius
Journal: Hungarian Studies
Year: 2023

Abstract Carolus Clusius (Charles de l’Écluse, 1526–1609), one of the most renowned naturalists of sixteenth-century Europe, was a versatile man of letters. One of his fields of interest neglected in scholarship is his attitude and activities around what was called fossilia at that time, and what can today be called non-living naturalia : metals, gems, various strange “stones”, fossils or medicinal earths. Such naturalia appear several times in his correspondence. This two-part study reviews how