Galileo Museum

The Galileo Museum in Florence, located in the charming Palazzo Castellani, is one of the most important scientific museums in the world. Founded in 1927 as the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, the museum was renamed the Galileo Museum in 2010, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the “Sidereus Nuncius”, the work in which Galileo Galilei divulged his revolutionary astronomical discoveries. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of scientific instruments, many of which belonged to the Medici and Lorraine families, who have significantly contributed to the history of science. Among the most famous objects are two of Galileo’s original telescopes and the lens through which he observed Jupiter’s satellites, discoveries that forever changed our understanding of the solar system. The museum’s exhibition path winds through 18 thematic rooms covering a wide range of scientific disciplines, from astronomy to chemistry, passing through physics and natural sciences. Each room tells a part of the history of science, highlighting how Florence, under the guidance of the Medici and Lorraine families, became a center of scientific excellence as well as artistic. The first room of the museum is dedicated to the Medici collection, started by Cosimo I de’ Medici in the 16th century and expanded by his successors. This section showcases instruments used for scientific experiments and time measurement. Among these, the armillary sphere by Antonio Santucci stands out, built between 1588 and 1593, a fascinating instrument representing the cosmos according to the conceptions of the time. The museum dedicates an entire room to Galileo Galilei, where the instruments used by the great scientist for his observations are displayed. This section allows us to understand the enormous impact that Galileo’s discoveries had on modern science. Among the most curious artifacts is Galileo’s right hand middle finger, preserved as a relic and symbol of the scientific legacy he left behind. In addition to the permanent collection, the Galileo Museum organizes temporary exhibitions and educational activities to promote scientific culture. The museum is also an important research center, with a library housing around 150,000 works on the history of science, including rare ancient editions collected by the Medici and Lorraine dynasties. The library, renovated in 2002, is a place of study and consultation for scholars from around the world and has a rich digital collection accessible online. The museum is not limited to the exhibition of scientific instruments, but actively engages in research and scientific dissemination. It collaborates with prestigious international institutions such as the Royal Academy of Sciences in Sweden and Harvard University, promoting research projects and conferences that contribute to keeping alive the historical memory of science and fostering new discoveries.