Sir Robert Dudley: Explorer, Cartographer, Inventor, Bigamist

Name: Sir Robert Dudley: Explorer, Cartographer, Inventor, Bigamist
Start: 2025-10-13T19:30:00+01:00
Location: 16-18 Queen Square, BA1 2HN Bath, United Kingdom

Schedule

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

16-18 Queen Square, BA1 2HN Bath, United Kingdom | Bath, EN

This talk focuses on Robert Dudley (1574–1649), the “base son” of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and one of the more flamboyant and gifted characters of the Elizabethan era. Banished for marrying one of Elizabeth I’s ladies-in-waiting, he spent the remainder of his life in the service of the Medici in Tuscany, where his talents were highly valued. He was skilled in philosophy, chemistry, and physics, and well versed in mathematics and its practical applications.
Dudley’s encyclopaedic Alcano del mare has been described as one of the greatest and most complex atlases ever produced. He left his scientific and navigational instruments and manuscripts to his patron, Ferdinand II, which are now on display at the Museo Galileo in Florence.
The talk will explore the remarkable achievements of this colourful and accomplished figure of the Renaissance.
The speaker, Marie-Louise Luxemburg, is a writer, historian, and former convenor of BRLSI’s History and Culture group.