Character Catalog

The first treatise describing astronomical observations made with a telescope. It reveals lunar relief features, the moons of Jupiter, and the stellar nature of the Milky Way.

A treatise on scientific method in which Galileo asserts that the book of nature is written in the language of mathematics. Regarded as a manifesto of modern science.

A dialogue comparing the geocentric and heliocentric systems, which led to Galileo's condemnation by the Inquisition. A masterpiece of scientific popularization and argumentation.

A founding work of mechanics and the strength of materials, published in Holland to escape censorship. In it, Galileo establishes the laws of uniformly accelerated motion.

An instruction manual for the proportional compass invented by Galileo, intended for military and practical applications. It reflects his activity as an engineer and inventor.

A series of letters in which Galileo describes his observations of sunspots and deduces the rotation of the Sun, strengthening the arguments against the immutability of the Aristotelian heavens.

Galileo describes his first observations through the astronomical telescope: the mountains of the Moon, stars invisible to the naked eye, and the four moons of Jupiter, overturning Aristotelian cosmology.

In the form of a dialogue between three characters, Galileo compares the Ptolemaic and Copernican systems, demonstrating the superiority of the heliocentric model. This book directly led to his trial before the Inquisition.

Galileo lays the foundations of modern mechanics and the strength of materials, formulating the laws of falling bodies and the parabolic motion of projectiles.

Galileo defends the compatibility between science and Scripture, asserting that the Bible teaches "how to go to heaven, and not how the heavens go". This text constitutes a major plea for the autonomy of scientific inquiry.

Galileo's birthplace, where he studied at the university and where legend places his experiments on falling bodies from the famous leaning tower.

Galileo taught mathematics there from 1592 to 1610, a period he himself described as the "eighteen best years of his life". He conducted his most fruitful research there.

The residence where Galileo was placed under house arrest following his condemnation in 1633, and where he spent the last years of his life, gradually going blind.

The site of Galileo's trial in 1633, where he was forced to abjure his defense of heliocentrism before the tribunal of the Inquisition.

The church where Galileo has rested since 1737, in a monumental tomb erected opposite that of Michelangelo, after the Church had long refused him an honorable burial.

Optical instrument perfected by Galileo in 1609, composed of lenses inside a lead tube. It was with this tool that he discovered the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus.

Experimental device used by Galileo to study falling bodies by slowing down the motion. He would roll bronze balls along it and measure time with a water clock.

Calculating instrument invented by Galileo around 1597, used for surveying and ballistics applications. He derived an income from it by selling the device and giving lessons on its use.

Stringed musical instrument that Galileo played with great skill, a heritage from his father Vincenzo Galilei. Music nourished his sensitivity to mathematical ratios in nature.

Forerunner of the thermometer, designed by Galileo around 1593, consisting of a glass tube and glass bulbs suspended in a liquid. It allowed temperature variations to be observed.

Writing tools indispensable to Galileo, who maintained an extensive correspondence with scholars across Europe and wrote his treatises in Italian rather than Latin.