Galileo in Florence: Museo Galileo, the Medici court, and Santa Croce

Palazzo Vecchio Palazzo Vecchio is Florence’s historic town hall, standing beside Piazza della Signoria. Construction began in 1299, when the commune of Florence sought a secure and imposing seat for its magistrates. The architect was Arnolfo di Cambio, also associated with Florence Cathedral and Santa Croce. Originall…

Firenze-palazzo vecchio 24

Museo Galileo The Museo Galileo—Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence preserves the scientific heritage of Tuscany, especially the work of Galileo Galilei and the collecting traditions of the Medici and Lorraine dynasties. Galileo’s connection with nearby Santa Croce is central to the museum’s hist…

Galilei's older telescope, eyepiece part, Museo Galileo, Florence, Inv. 2428, 224093

Basilica of Santa Croce The Basilica of Santa Croce, or Basilica of the Holy Cross, is Florence’s principal Franciscan church and a minor basilica of the Latin Church. Located on Piazza di Santa Croce, it is also known as the “Temple of the Italian Glories” because it contains the tombs and memorials of prominent Itali…

Basilica di Santa Croce (12437)

Palazzo Pitti Palazzo Pitti, or Pitti Palace, is a vast Renaissance palace in Florence, situated on the south side of the River Arno near the Ponte Vecchio. Its central structure dates from 1458, when it was commissioned by the banker Luca Pitti, a prominent Florentine supporter of Cosimo de’ Medici. Construction halte…

La Specola La Specola is a natural history museum in Florence, housed in the former Palazzo Torrigiani on Via Romana, beside the Pitti Palace. Its name means “observatory,” recalling the astronomical observatory established at the site in 1790. Today, it forms part of the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze, whose coll…

Zoologia La Specola - wax anatomical models