Galileo and His Students
Galileo Galilei
By far the best-known beneficiary of Medici patronage was Galileo Galilei. Ferdinand II de' Medici (1549–1609) appointed Galileo to the professorship of mathematics at the university of Pisa in 1588. Galileo dedicated his book Sidereus nuncius (The starry messenger) to Ferdinand’s son and successor, Cosimo II, whom Galileo had earlier tutored in mathematics, and famously named the moons of Jupiter the "Medicean stars." Cosimo II appointed Galileo chief philosopher and mathematician at his court. Galileo later addressed his letter on science and scripture, the Letter to the grand duchess Christina to Ferdinand's widow and Cosimo's mother, Christina of Lorraine, herself the granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici. Certainly there are few topics in history of science that have attracted more attention than Galileo's conflict with the Church, including the extent (and limits) of the influence of the Medici.
Shown here is a selection of 17th- and 18th-century editions of Galileo’s works from the holdings of Special Collections.
Galileo Galilei.
Mathematical discourses concerning two new sciences ... done into English
from the Italian, by Tho. Weston.
London: J. Hooke, 1730.
The Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche intorno a due nuoue scienze attenenti alla mecanica i movimenti locali was first published in 1638.
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Lettera ... scritta alla granduchessa di Toscana; in cui teologicamente, e con ragioni
saldissime ... si risponde alle calunnie di coloro ... dell'Universo ...
Florence: s.n., 1710.
The first edition of Galileo’s Letter to the grand duchess Christina was published in 1636.
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Il saggiatore.
Bologna: HH del Dozza, 1655.
Il saggiatore (The Assayer), with its discussion of comets, was first published in Rome in 1623.
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Sidereus nuncius.
London: Typis Jacopi Flesher: Prostat apud Cornelium Bee, 1653.
The first edition, with the iconic illustrations of the moon as viewed through the telescope, appeared in 1610. This edition reproduces them, but without some of the crispness of the edition of 1610.
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Dialogo … sopra I due massimi sistemi del mondo.
Florence: Gio: Batista Landini, 1632.
Shown in this detail from the frontispiece are the three participants in the Dialogue on the two chief world systems.
Students of Galileo
Although Galileo's students followed his lead in studying mathematical relationships in natural phenomena, most steered clear of conflicts with authority. Several also enjoyed continued support from the Medici grand dukes.
Castelli, a member of the Benedictine order, helped to see Galileo's Discourse on floating bodies through the press. Galileo’s long letter to Castelli on science and religion, in expanded form, appeared in 1636 as the Letter to the grand duchess Christina. Castelli, who held the post of professor of mathematics at Pisa, worked on hydraulics, heat, and optics, including a study of cataracts (cause of Galileo’s blindness late in life). Cavalieri, introduced to Galileo by Castelli, also tackled astronomical subjects but is best known for his mathematical "method of indivisibles," a significant development on the way to the calculus of Newton and Leibniz.
Following a suggestion from Galileo, Torricelli filled a long glass tube with mercury and inverted the tube into a dish: implications of the Torricellian or barometric experiment, which led to the invention of the mercury barometer, engaged experimental natural philosophers all over Europe. Torricelli was appointed to succeeed Galileo as mathematician to the grand duke, and given lodging in the ducal palace.
Viviani, who at age seventeen began to serve the aged Galileo as secretary and assistant, later became court mathematician for the grand duke Ferdinand II and a member of the Accademia del Cimento. Viviani edited the first edition of Galileo’s collected works, and left funds for an elaborate monument to Galileo, eventually constructed in 1737 under Gian-Gaston de Medici.
Benedetto Castelli.
Alcuni opuscoli filosofici.
Bologna: per gli Heredi del Dozza, 1669.
Bonaventura Cavalieri.
Geometria indivisibilibus continuorum nova quadam ratione promota.
Bologna: Ducijs [Duciis], 1653.
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Trattato della ruota planetaria perpetua.
Bologna: Per Giacomo Monti, 1646.
The foldout engraving is approximately the size of an extra-large pizza box.
Evangelista Torricelli.
Lezioni accademiche.
Florence: Nella Stamp. di S.A.R. Per Jacopo Guiducci, e Santi Franchi, 1715.
Vincenzio Viviani.
De locis solidis secunda divinatio geometrica.
Florence: Typis Regiae Celsitudinis Apud Petrum Antonium Brigonci, 1701.
This volume also contains plans for the monument to Galileo.