Astronomy in Florence from the "Specola" to the Arcetri Observatory

Conceived by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in collaboration with the University of Florence’s Department of Astronomy and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, this exhibition is ideally linked to Galileo’s Telescope. Original instruments from the Museo di Storia della Scienza's collections are displayed in three different sections. They tell a brief story of Florentine astronomy from the Palazzo Torrigiani (venue of the Grand-Ducal “Specola”) to the Arcetri Hill (venue of the Observatory). The exhibition narrates the vicissitudes of these two institutions along with the biographies of some of the most important figures that influenced the history of Florentine astronomy, among them: Felice Fontana, Giovanni Battista Amici, Giovanni Battista Donati, Antonio and Giorgio Abetti.

Exhibition Dates