Galilean Days return to Pisa: a packed program to celebrate 460 years since Galileo's birth

Pisa pays tribute to Galileo Galilei for the sixth year: from Feb. 15, the Tuscan city celebrates the day on which Galileo Galilei was born, in 1564, with a rich program of events in Pisa from Feb. 15 to Feb. 20, curated by the Municipality of Pisa, Soprintendenza Archeologica Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Pisa and Livorno, Regional Museums Directorate of Tuscany, National Museum of Palazzo Reale, Scuola Normale Superiore, State Archives of Pisa, University of Pisa, Department of Physics of the University of Pisa, Museo degli Strumenti di Fisica-Ludoteca Scientifica (Sistema Museale di Ateneo), Museo della Grafica, EGO - European Gravitational Observatory, in collaboration with Associazione Astrofili Pisani “Galileo Galilei,” Collego, Mura di Pisa (Coop Culture, Itinera and Promocultura), Teatri della Resistenza, Gipsoteca di Arte Antica, ETS Editions.

“The Galilean Days,” said Councillor Paolo Pesciatini, “established in 2019, have seen the number of initiatives increase each year, taking on the character of tourist attraction in addition to dissemination and knowledge transfer. This year marks the 460th anniversary of Galileo’s birth. The program is very rich and includes astronomical observations from the Cantone Tower and the Walls, Galilean experiments, workshops, play and Lego itineraries in Logge dei Banchi, meetings at the Gipsoteca, exhibitions at the State Archives, concerts dedicated to the music of the time and the works of his father Vincenzo, and theatrical performances of living pictures involving the city museums. The latter created by ’Tableaux Vivants’ and dedicated to the figure of Artemisia Gentileschi, daughter of the Pisan Orazio: the first woman admitted in 1616 to the Academy of Arts and Drawing of which Galileo was also a member from 1613 with whom she established an epistolary correspondence. With these days we also want to celebrate Galileo for his unified vision of scientific-humanistic culture, a message as relevant as ever, of which our city, Pisa, his birthplace, is still the highest expression today by virtue of its University and all the centers of knowledge and research.”

“A particularly rich program this year,” explains the director of the Museum of Physics Instruments and professor of physics at the University of Pisa Sergio Giudici, “in which we also wanted to involve the Superintendence of Pisa and the National Museum of the Royal Palace because some of Galileo’s biographical sources tell us that in 1610 Galileo met the Grand Duke of Tuscany, most likely in the Royal Palace, and in particular in the Torre del Cantone, to show him the telecope and let him see Jupiter’s satellites. So we wanted to open the tower to the public to replicate the meeting between Galileo and the Grand Duke, making it possible for participants to observe with the instruments of the Museum of Physics Instruments and the Science Playroom. Then there will be activities on the Walls of Pisa with initiatives for schools, Galilean experiments and theatrical walks, as well as two musical initiatives because the Galilei family is also responsible for the birth of musical acoustics.”

The Galilean Days program

Thursday, Feb. 15

3 p.m.

Museum of Physics Instruments-Scientific Library. Galileiana Citadel, Largo Renzo Spadoni

Inauguration of the Galilean Days and new exhibition of instruments from the Specola Pisana and the Physics Studio

Institutional greetings: Paolo Pesciatini (councilor for tourism of the Municipality of Pisa), Lorenzo Peruzzi (president of the University Museum System), Provincial School Office of Pisa. Introduction to Galilean Days and guided tour of the permanent exhibition by Claudio Luperini, curator of the collection.

From 5 p.m.

Soprintendenza ABAP Pisa - Livorno and Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, Lungarno Pacinotti, 46

A cosmic history, Galileo and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Performance visit and astronomical observations from the Torre del Cantone, by the Theaters of Resistance and astrophiles from the Department of Physics and the University of Pisa’s University Museum System.

Replication of the meeting between Galileo and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, telescope observation of the Medicean Satellites from the Torre del Cantone with the instrumentation provided by the Department of Physics you will be able to observe the Satellites of Jupiter.

Access hours (every 45 minutes): 5 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m.

Visits by reservation at 050 2214861

The Canton Tower is accessible with a climb of about 100 steps. Astronomical activities accessible to people with disabilities are planned. Cost: 5 euros, 2 euros for visitors aged 18-25, free for those under 18.

Thursday, Feb. 15, Friday, 16, Saturday, 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18

9 a.m.-6 p.m.

State Archives, Lungarno Mediceo, 17

Galileo’s Pisan Years. Documentary exhibition.

The exhibition traces, through the originals preserved in the Institute, some of the stages of the scientist’s training and academic career, starting from his early training in the “first-rate” public school, passing through his matriculation at the University of Pisa, to his stay in Pisa as a lecturer, discovering his relationship with the city and the influences it had on his scientific experience. 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Guided tours on all days with free access (max 30 people).

Friday, Feb. 16

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Walls of Pisa - Piazza dei Miracoli

Between earth and sky: from Galilean experiments to the monuments of Pisa and the stars

Organized by the Science Playroom

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Access reserved for schools by reservation (entrance from Piezometric Tower). Reservations at www.muradipisa.it Access is scheduled every 30 minutes.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., free access (entrance from Torre Santa Maria).

Cost: 5 euros, free for schools, residents of the City of Pisa and children up to 8 years old.

Among the experiments related to the figure of Galileo, the Science Playroom will show an experiment on the isochronism of the pendulum and the study of the motion of gravi on the inclined plane, a replica of which was made by the Physics Department workshop. The account of Galileo’s history and life would not be complete without a demonstration of the operation of the telescope and its use projecting sunspots. The experience will be complemented by the links between the architecture of Miracle Square and the celestial vault.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m.

Logge dei Banchi

GALILEO EXPERIENCE: Legos, workshops, exhibitions and unusual itineraries with the great scientist

Organized by Collego, Associazione Astrofili Pisani “Galileo Galilei”

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Lego Space workshop (children)

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Galileo and the Moon 1610 the perfect sphere shatters (all)

12:00 - 13:00 Discover the Telescope (all)

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Astro Kids the Galileo telescope + quiz game - (children)

4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Lego Astro Speed workshop - (children)

17:00 - 18:00 Galileo and Jupiter: the 4 wandering stars (all)

18:00 - 19:00 Galileo quiz with prizes (all)

Performance of Tableaux vivants. The thousand faces of Artemisia

Theatrical representation of the works of Artemisia Gentileschi. Free admission

4:30 p.m. - Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, Piazza dei Cavalieri

6:30 p.m. - Crypt of the Church of San Pietro in Vinculis (San Pierino) via Cavour

Saturday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m.

Logge dei Banchi

GALILEO EXPERIENCE: Legos, workshops, exhibitions and unusual itineraries with the great scientist

Organized by Collego, Associazione Astrofili Pisani “Galileo Galilei”

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Astro Kids the telescope of Galileo + quiz game (children)

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Galileo and the Sun: Machines and other accidents (all)

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Lego Space workshop (children)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Solar Observation (all)

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Galileo and the Moon 1610 the perfect sphere shatters (all)

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Astro Kids the telescope of galileo + quiz game - (children)

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Let’s measure the moon: calculation of the heights of the lunar mountains according to the Galilean method (experts)

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Galileo quiz game (everyone)

4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Walls of Pisa

4-6 p.m. (entrance from Piezometric Tower)

Theatrical performance and astronomical observations of sunspots (entrance from Piezometric Tower)

re 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Astronomical observations (entrance from St. Mary’s Tower)

Reservations at www.muradipisa.it Cost: 5 euros

6 p.m.

Gipsoteca di Arte Antica e Antiquarium, Piazza San Paolo all’Orto, 21

Maps of the Earth, maps of the cosmos: from Galileo to gravitational waves

Edited by European Gravitational Observatory (EGO), with Alessandro De Angelis (University of Padua and Lisbon) and Irene Fiori EGO/VIRGO. Vincenzo Napolano (EGO/VIRGO) moderates.

Sunday, February 18, 7 p.m.

Museo della Grafica-Palazzo Lanfranchi, Lungarno Galileo Galilei, 9

Concert by the PassiSparsi ensemble “Vincenzo Galilei, the dissonant.”

To be followed by a toast in honor of Galileo Galilei

Free admission while seats last

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m.

Palazzo della Carovana, Sala degli Stemmi, Piazza dei Cavalieri, 7

Recitar cantando: the birth of Opera and Musical Acoustics.

Introduction to the evening concert. Speaker Sergio Giudici, Department of Physics, University of Pisa. Free and free admission.

9 p.m.

Verdi Theater, Via Palestro, 40

The New Musics. The revolution of accompanied monody in seventeenth-century Italian I concerti della Normale.

The Bassifondi

Monica Piccinini, soprano

Many centuries ago there was no difference between the“ classical” music that was heard in the courts in front of a select group of people and the“ popular” music that was performed in the streets. In the case of the compositions in this concert, all written in the 1600s, we are faced with fresh, catchy music, often shot through with dance rhythms. Melodies featuring such unusual instruments today as the colascione, the theorbo, and the sordellina, and music for a far larger audience than the niche of enthusiasts to whom it is usually offered. Tickets on sale at the theater and on Vivaticket.

Galilean Days return to Pisa: a packed program to celebrate 460 years since Galileo's birth

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