Well, a few hours in Florence convince you why it’s one of the most historic and beloved spots on the planet. Our Astronomy Galileo tour group of 19 enjoyed our first day in the historic city Monday, and it was a long one. We were on the move, walking briskly and efficiently, moving from site to site, like a well-oiled machine.
Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all the pictures.
First we explored the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, near our hotel, the first great basilica of Florence and the city’s main Dominican church. Construction of this art treasure house began in 1246 and lasted until 1360, and the interior contains a vast repository of frescoes by a spectrum of painters who were followers of Giotto.
Next, we walked to the city’s most famous church, the Duomo, or Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, with its mammoth dome (third largest in the world), and adjacent Baptistry and Giotto’s Campanile. This spectacular complex is one of the great historic and religious sites in the world.
We also ventured to pay respects to the Medici, the powerful Florence family who shaped the region and the Renaissance for 300 years beginning before 1400. Our group was fortunate to explore the Palazzo Medici, the massive stone structure that served as the Medici family palace and a place Galileo frequented. The inner sanctum, the palace’s small but ornate Chapel of the Magi, was a remarkable work of art.
Leaving our allegiance for the Medici and moving to the competing family, we arrived at Palazzo Strozzi, a palace, a few blocks away. There, a massive and almost unbelievable exhibition is underway showcasing dozens of artifacts relating to Galileo and the rise of observational and theoretical astronomy from well before his time to the next era that followed him. We spent several hours entranced by this sensational and unprecedented display made possible from the collections of numerous museums.
The obvious and most stunning centerpieces were there:
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The lens from Galileo’s first telescope, cracked and framed as a present to Cosimo II de Medici.
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The original and complete second telescope from 1610, in excellent condition.
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Weirdly, Galileo’s skeletonized right middle finger, mounted in a glass display case as if he were a saint and the relic adorned some holy reliquary. The finger was removed as a relic when Galileo was reburied in Santa Croce in 1737.
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And stunning ephemera that made your head spin: the original diary showing pages wherein Galileo sketched his first observations of the moons of Jupiter, a letter first describing his observation of Saturn as a “triple star,” his first fat notebook jammed with drawings of the Moon, and pages of sketches following the motions of spots across the Sun.
Many other important artifacts from other eras were present. They included Egyptian and Greek artifacts depicting the cosmos, frescoes from Pompeii showing constellation figures, numerous astrolabes, sundials, celestial spheres and globes, orreries, paintings, maps, charts, and atlases. It was an astronomy enthusiast’s dream and may never be recreated exactly in this way. If you can get to Florence by August 30, the exhibition’s last day, I urge you to see it. For more information, see palazzostrozzi.org.
We also visited yet another church, the Basilica of Santa Croce, where we saw Galileo’s tomb (pictured above), staring straight across the church from the tomb of Michelangelo. Standing in the presence of Galileo’s remains, particularly in this special year, gave us all a magical feeling.
Tomorrow we will travel to Arcetri to visit Galileo’s villa. More to come.
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Photo credit: David J. Eicher