Tuscany's most famous scientist is probably Galileo Galilei, the beloved astronomer, physicist, and engineer who was from Pisa and famously sentenced to live the rest of his life under house arrest after angering the Catholic Church with his theory of Copernican heliocentrism (which states that the earth rotates daily and revolves around the sun). Later pardoned and eventually honoured by the Vatican, centuries after his death, Galileo has been credited as one of the forefathers and instigators of modern science and his work still informs research and education today. For those interested in science and Galileo who are browsing our luxury villas in Florence, it is worth keeping in mind that this fascinating and culturally vibrant city is home to the Museo Galileo. Not only is it a wonderful place to learn more about the Tuscan visionary, it boasts one of the world's major collections of scientific instruments, making it a must-see for those with STEM-related interests!
The Museo Galileo (previously the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza or Institute and Museum of the History of Science) is located in Piazza dei Giudici in Florence, just a stone's throw from the Uffizi Gallery, making it very easy to have a museum day during your vacation in Florence in which you visit both! Housed in the 11th century Palazzo Castellani, once known as the Castello d’Altafronte, the museum was renamed and re-opened to the public in 2010 after being closed for two years for renovations and restructuring of the museum. Established as the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in 1930 by the University of Florence, the basis of the collection comes from the estates of the Medici and the Lorraine dynasties but has since been added to and expanded.
The Museo Galileo (previously the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza or Institute and Museum of the History of Science) is located in Piazza dei Giudici in Florence, just a stone's throw from the Uffizi Gallery, making it very easy to have a museum day during your vacation in Florence in which you visit both! Housed in the 11th century Palazzo Castellani, once known as the Castello d’Altafronte, the museum was renamed and re-opened to the public in 2010 after being closed for two years for renovations and restructuring of the museum. Established as the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in 1930 by the University of Florence, the basis of the collection comes from the estates of the Medici and the Lorraine dynasties but has since been added to and expanded.
Arranged chronologically and thematically, the Museo Galileo is spread out over several different floors. On the first floor, one can find the Medici Collection, which was gathered between the 15th and 18th centuries and includes unique pieces owned by Galileo himself including his only two extant telescopes and the lens from the telescope with which he first spotted the Galilean moons of Jupiter and, more bizarrely, even his preserved thumb and middle finger from his right hand. Other items on display on this floor include thermometers that were used by members of the Accademia del Cimento, terrestrial and celestial globes, and a giant armillary sphere designed and built by Antonio Santucci. The Lorraine Collection, meanwhile, is spread over the nine rooms of the second floor and was collected by the Lorraine family in the 18th and 19th centuries. Items on display in these rooms include obstetrical wax models from the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, Grand Duke Peter Leopold’s chemistry cabinet, and some machines made by the Museo di Fisica e Storia Naturale that were used to explain and demonstrate the fundamental physical laws. On the third floor is the museum's library, where there is an astounding collection of some 150,000 works about the history of science. The antique book section of the collection alone boasts nearly 5,000 works and, as one might imagine, also can largely be credited the Medici and Lorraine bequests. In addition to the permanent fixtures of the museum, the Museo Galileo also hosts regular temporary exhibitions about the history of science and the relationship between science, technology, and art.
So, if you are interested in science and in learning more about the history of the scientific process and discovery, as well as in learning more about Galileo and even seeing the tools he used to make his ground-breaking and explosive discoveries, then be sure to secure your villa with a swimming pool in Florence and then plan a trip to the wonderful Museo Galileo!
Museo Galileo
Piazza dei Giudici 1 - 50122 Florence, ITALY
+39 055 265 311
info@museogalileo.it
Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday – 9.30am to 6pm
Tuesday - 9.30am to 1pm
Closed on January 1st and December 25th.
Tickets:
Adults - €10.00
6-18 years old - €6.00
Under 6 years old - free entry
Family ticket (2 adults + max 2 children 18 and under) - €24.00
So, if you are interested in science and in learning more about the history of the scientific process and discovery, as well as in learning more about Galileo and even seeing the tools he used to make his ground-breaking and explosive discoveries, then be sure to secure your villa with a swimming pool in Florence and then plan a trip to the wonderful Museo Galileo!
Museo Galileo
Piazza dei Giudici 1 - 50122 Florence, ITALY
+39 055 265 311
info@museogalileo.it
Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday – 9.30am to 6pm
Tuesday - 9.30am to 1pm
Closed on January 1st and December 25th.
Tickets:
Adults - €10.00
6-18 years old - €6.00
Under 6 years old - free entry
Family ticket (2 adults + max 2 children 18 and under) - €24.00
