On Tuesday, our fifth major day of activities, Astronomy’s Galileo our group set out on an ambitious and long day focused squarely on Galileo himself. We began by traveling about a half hour outside Florence to Arcetri and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, an institution founded in 1872. We explored the observatory’s grounds, discussed astronomical subjects with some of the institution’s astronomers, and explored the 14-inch refractor (image at right) — taking a quick peek by solar projection at the Sun.
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.
Then came our encounter with Galileo’s last inner sanctum. Driving a winding path around a valley, we approached a tight network of narrow streets in the village of Arcetri, parked our Mercedes bus at a crossroads, and walked down a lane no wider than an alleyway to find the front entrance area of Galileo’s villa. Here the great scientist spent the last years of his life, following his heresy trial, under house arrest. We examined the gates, the building, the yard, the surrounding streets, and although the house is closed for reconstruction, we sensed the world in which Galileo lived and felt it hadn’t changed much over the past 4 centuries.
A long walk down another narrow street, past the Galileo Galilei Elementary School for Girls (!), brought us to the modest-appearing frontage of the Monastery of San Matteo, where both of Galileo’s daughters spent most of their lives. We explored the chapel inside the convent, familiar space to Galileo’s family (although the interior has been remodeled significantly since that time). We were feeling the spirit of Galileo quite strongly as we soaked up the atmosphere.
Following a wonderful Tuscan lunch back in Florence, we headed for another big spot in Galileo’s life, Pisa. Not only was Galileo born in Pisa, but also he taught mathematics at the university there. Finally, the luck with weather we had experienced on the trip ran dry (or should I say ran wet). By the time we rolled into Pisa, we were in the midst of a steady rain.
Nonetheless, the group’s enthusiasm powered us through bus rides and a walk to get to the Piazza del Duomo, the city’s cultural center, which contains the massive and amazingly impressive Duomo, the Baptistry, the Camposanto (Monumental Cemetery), and the Campanile, which the world knows as the “Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
The rain challenged us, but never mind. About half the group, myself included, scurried up the worn, wet marble steps to the top, 186 feet above the ground. What a spectacular view we had! It was a quick journey up the 296 steps, which spiral their way up the tower, making the plane of gravity seem to change relative to the walls as you walk up. Started in the year 1173 and completed in 1372, the tower was certainly the world’s original “funhouse,” making climbers feel disoriented long before they get to the top. The inadequate, loamy, soft soil at the base was the problem: recent work has completely stabilized the tower at a lean of about 4°.
The long bus ride back to Florence gave us plenty of time to dry out, laugh, share stories about Galileo, and look forward to more in Florence tomorrow.
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Photo credit: David J. Eicher