Professor Jerry Brotton

Jerry Brotton is professor of Renaissance studies at Queen Mary University of London. His books include This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World (Allen Lane, 2016)

The Catalan Atlas from 1375

North, south, east and west: how ancient civilisations found their bearings before the compass.

London in the 16th century map, illustration by Theresa Grieben

Trade, religion and diversity: how Tudor London became a global city.

A whistle-stop tour around the world in AD 1500.

Why we should remember…the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

Marie Tharp stands at a table, drawing her map of the Atlantic Ocean's floor

15 minutes of fameJerry Brotton chooses Marie Tharp.

Marie TharpGround-breaking cartographer.

Salt cellar with Neptune and Tellus by Benvenuto Cellini

Benvenuto CelliniHow the 'bad boy' sculptor gives us a fresh perspective on the Renaissance.

Cellini: the “supreme scoundrel of the Renaissance”.

The Renaissance: everything you wanted to know.

The Battle of Lepanto between Holy League soldiers and Ottoman troops

The battle of Lepanto: when Ottoman forces clashed with Christians

A 16th-century map showing Magellan's ship

A voyage from hell: how Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world changed history.