Galileo Exhibition in Florence

Another big exhibition that opened few days ago is "Galileo's telescope. The Instrument that changed the world"

The telescope introduced an entirely new mode of observing the sky. This premise is indispensable for understanding the colossal impact the instrument was to have on seventeenth-century science and society.
In the summer of 1609 Galileo Galilei received news that some Dutch opticians had developed a curious optical instrument: a tube provided with lenses at both ends, which made distant objects observed through it appear to be closer. As soon as he had been informed of the structural details, Galileo dedicated himself to perfecting the instrument. Toward autumn of 1609 Galileo accomplished a truly extraordinary feat. Urged on by scientific curiosity, he turned his own perfected instrument toward the sky. The known stars and planets revealed unexpected physiognomies, and new heavenly bodies were added to those of the old Ptolemaic Cosmos. Galileo immediately realized the inestimable value of his telescopic discoveries and the fact that they constituted new observation points for promoting the Copernican doctrine of the Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Now, 400 years later, the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza holds an exhibition on Galileo’s telescope and the observations he made with it. The displays will consist of rare and precious instruments (among them the objective and the only 2 existing telescopes by Galileo), manuscripts and ancient books. Comprehension of optical and astronomical principles will be facilitated by interactive exhibits and multimedia. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience through their own eyes the extraordinary Galileo’s experience.

Florence, Institute and Museum of the History of Science. 4 March - 31 December
Information Tel. +39 055 265311 imss@imss.fi.it
Opening Hours of the museum
WINTER HOURS October 1 - May 31
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Closed all other Sundays and on the following holidays: November 1, December 8, 25 and 26, January 1 and 6, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, April 25, May 1
SUMMER HOURS June 1 - September 30
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and the following holidays: June 2 and 24, August 15
Tickets: Full price € 4.00 age 0-6 free


Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

See also other events during the summer in Florence