You will leave the Galileo Museum in Florence in awe of the immense body of work this one human attained during his lifetime. This museum not only highlights all his accomplishments but also provides insight into his personal life as well. We got the audio guide to help guide us through all the exhibits from astronomy to medical to architecture and more. Galileo was constantly inventing and learning. This hidden gem in back of the Uffizi with great views of the River Arno is definitely worth a visit.

Galileo (1564-1642) was an astronomer, inventor, physicist, engineer and mathematician. What a mind! Living during a time where science was viewed with skepticism and often judged as being in opposition to religious beliefs in very Catholic Italy, Galileo managed to alienate the Pope of that time. Oops! He was tried by inquisition for heresy and forced to live the rest of his life under house arrest. However, he used this seclusion as time to continue his life’s work, which is on display and celebrated in this museum.

You enter the museum and have a chance to see all the astronomical instruments he and others invented to enable scientific observations of celestial objects. His collection of telescopes is featured in one room and in another the microscopes he created. Of course, his inventions were appropriated at one point for military uses, for example enabling better navigation with his compasses. 

I won’t begin to provide all the biographical details about Galileo, but you can read more about him here: Galileo Galilei – Wikipedia OR you could just start planning a trip to Florence so you can experience Galileo’s life in person at this wonderful museum!

VISIT:

You can buy your tickets online at https://www.museogalileo.it/en/ or at the door. This is not like the Uffizi, which is on every tourist’s list, so the lines are not long to get in. When we visited, there were local children school groups taking tours but, in general, the museum was not crowded. Enjoy the journey!