THE PRELUDE OF THE THORNTON EXPEDITION TO BRAZIL: THE GRAND DUCHY OF TUSCANY AND THE ENGLISH ATLANTIC EXPERIENCE (1574-1609)

Abstract

This article seeks to elucidate the key elements that led to Robert Thornton’s expedition to Brazil. Organised by Robert Dudley, the expedition departed from the port of Livorno in 1608 and returned the following year, shortly after Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici’s (r. 1587–1609) death in February. It was the most significant colonial venture undertaken by the Tuscan state. The study aims to move beyond interpreting the expedition solely as a commercial or colonial endeavour of Ferdinando’s. Instead, it is contextualised within the broader political, social, and economic dynamics that had shaped Tuscany since the reign of his brother, Francesco I (r. 1574–1587). Furthermore, it singles out key diplomatic dimensions and the circulation of information, as well as the experiences of English individuals residing in the Grand Duchy – all of which are essential to understanding the expedition’s inception.

Keywords
Grand Duchy of Tuscany; Colonial Expansion; Piracy; Atlantic History; Mediterranean