author
duca degli Abruzzi Luigi Amedeo di Savoia
1873–1933
A royal sailor turned explorer, he chased some of the boldest journeys of his age, from Arctic ice to the high peaks of Africa and Asia. His life blends adventure, ambition, and the restless energy of the early twentieth century.
1 Audiobook
Het bergland van den Roewenzori De Aarde en haar Volken, 1909
by duca degli Abruzzi Luigi Amedeo di Savoia
About the author
Born in Madrid in 1873 into the House of Savoy, the Duke of the Abruzzi trained as a naval officer and rose to become a vice-admiral in the Royal Italian Navy. He became far better known, though, for exploration and mountaineering, building a reputation for discipline, courage, and a taste for difficult places.
His expeditions took him across the globe. He climbed in Alaska, led a major Arctic voyage on the Stella Polare, explored the Ruwenzori range in East Africa, and organized a celebrated Karakoram expedition in 1909. The standard route on K2 known as the Abruzzi Spur still carries his name, a sign of how lasting his influence has been in the history of climbing.
Later in life he turned toward Italian Somaliland, where he helped promote an agricultural settlement near Mogadishu. He died there in 1933, leaving behind a story that feels larger than life: part prince, part seaman, and part relentless adventurer.