Discover 16th-century science

Nicolaus Copernicus declared the earth revolved around the Sun, overturning centuries of scholastic presumption. A new age was coming into view—one guided by observation, technology and logic.

But omens and elixirs did not disappear from the sixteenth-century laboratory. Charms and potions could still be found nestled between glistening brass instruments and leather-bound tomes. The line between the natural and supernatural remained porous, yet to be defined.

From the icy Danish observatory of Tycho Brahe, to the smoky, sulphur-stained workshop of John Dee, Violet Moller tours the intellectual heart of early European science. Exploring its rich, multidisciplinary culture, Inside the Stargazer’s Palace reveals a dazzling forgotten world.

Review Quote

"A fantastic introduction to 16th-century thought, revealing myriad connections between characters I only knew as stand-alone practitioners. Moller deftly places these characters into a coherent historical narrative that (in keeping with the time) does not privilege scientific knowledge above religious or astrological, but rather shows interconnectedness. This is a well-told story of knowledge production and the spread of ideas in 16th-century Europe that gives voice to more unsung figures in instrument making, writing and printing who were making waves just as their industries were starting out."—BBC Sky at Night

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