Galileo Days | Pisa

For the fifth year, the city celebrates the great scientist Galileo Galilei on the day of his birth, which took place in Pisa on 15 February 1564, with a programme of events involving the Municipality, the University of Pisa, the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore S. Anna.

Among the initiatives of the ‘Giornata Galileiana’ (Galilean Day) are a conference on optics ‘from Galileo to the Space Telescopes’, a conference on the great scientist’s years in Pisa and the exhibition of important Galilean documents at the State Archives and the Diocesan Archives, including Galileo’s baptism certificate.

All events are open to the public and free of charge. 

Tuesday 15 February
State Archives, Lungarno Mediceo, 17
10:00 a.m.: Presentation of the days with speeches by: Jaleh Bahrabadi, director of the State Archives; Paolo Pesciatini, councillor for tourism and integrated services and policies with the universities; Chiara Bodei, president of the University Museum System of Pisa.

10:15am: Sergio Giudici (Unipi – Department of Physics and director of the Museum of Physics Instruments): ‘Galileo’s Pisan Years’.

10:45 a.m.: Inauguration of the exhibition of Galilean documents in the State Archives.
The exhibition will also be open on Monday 21 February and Tuesday 22 February from 9:00 to 13:00. For visits (maximum 10 people per visit), booking is necessary by calling 050 542698 or sending an email to as-pi@beniculturali.it. To visit the exhibition it is necessary to show the Green Pass.
Where: Diocesan Archives, Piazza dell’Arcivescovado, 18.

15:00 – 18:00: Inauguration of the exhibition of documents on Galileo’s Pisan years.
The exhibition will also be open on Monday 21 February from 9:00 to 13:00 and Tuesday 22 February from 15:00 to 18:00. For visits (maximum 10 people per visit), booking is necessary by calling 050 565571 or sending an email to archivio@pisa.chiesacattolica.it. The Green Pass is required to visit the exhibition.
Where: Aula Magna Storica della Sapienza, via Curtatone e Montanara, 15

2.30 p.m.: Conference ‘The geometry of light: optics from Galileo to the Space Telescopes’.
Organising committee: Sergio Giudici, University of Pisa, Director Museo degli Strumenti di Fisica e della Ludoteca Scientifica, Department of Physics; Veronica Roccatagliata, University of Pisa, Department of Physics; Elisabetta Tognoni, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, C.N.R. Pisa. Speeches will be in presence and streamed

Wednesday 16 February
Palazzo Gambacorti, Sala Baleari, 11:00 Award ceremony of the third edition of the Galileo Galilei Prize.