The
Life and Times of Galileo: The Italian Renaissance Roots of Modern Science
Instructor: Don Salisbury
Moody Science 107
X2480
dsalisbury@austincollege.edu
This course will explore the historical roots and content of Galileo's scientific discoveries. Both themes will be explored in readings and discussions during ten regularly scheduled meetings in the Fall of 2006. This will be followed in January with visits to museums, churches, galleries, universities, and sites where Galileo lived, worked and worshiped. These visits will help to establish the intellectual, religious and social climate of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries in Italy. The travel itinerary will include all the major stations in Galileo's life, from his origins to triumphs and ultimate house arrest in Florence, with shorter-term appointments in Pisa and Siena, and a professorship in Padua with frequent contact with artisans in Venice. The final four days in Rome will be devoted to his conflict with the church.
Course Objectives
Course Requirements
Required reading
Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel, Penguin Books
Galileo on the World Systems, Galilleo Galilee, (Stillman Drake, editor and translator), Modern Library
Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, Galilleo Galilee, (Stillman Drake, editor and translator), Anchor Books
Paper
You are asked to research and write a paper on a topic related to the course theme. You must obtain my approval of the topic. The paper must have a length of five to ten pages double-spaced, with additional pages for the title and bibliography. Sources must include at least two web sites, a journal, and a book (other than the required readings). The paper may be submitted prior to the end of the Fall semester, or by February 5, 2007
Journal and Portfolio
You required to keep a journal reflecting on experiences and insights gained relating to the course objectives. The portfolio will contain relevant documentation, and may include pertinent diary entries, sketches, photographs, music, art, etc. Please note: neither the journal nor the portfolio will contain personal reflections or observations not pertaining to the course objectives.
Participation
Let us each try to enrich each other's experiences in our Fall meetings and on our journey. I envision unexpected revelations which will follow from an openness in observation and a readiness to reflect upon and discuss what we have seen and experienced.
Grading
The course grade will be based in part on three one half hour quizzes which will be taken in the Fall, a course journal and portfolio, and a final examination administered on the return flight from Rome.
Fall quizzes will address readings and class discussions, with the following themes.
In addition a grade will be assigned for participation in Fall discussions and active engagement in activities in Italy. If either effort is judged to be inadequate during the course, students will be notified in a timely manner.
Grades will be calculated as follows
Three fall quizzes |
30 |
Fall course participation |
10 |
Journal/ Portfolio |
20 |
Paper |
20 |
January course engagement |
10 |
Final examination |
10 |
Fall Class Meetings
The first formal class meeting will be at 8 am on
Tuesday, September 26. PLEASE READ ÒGALILEOÕS DAUGHTERÓ BEFORE THIS MEETING. The full schedule of reading assignments, lecture
and discussion topics, and quiz dates will be distributed on September 26.
Some Important Dates
|
Date |
Event |
Aug |
29 |
Informal class meeting |
Sept |
26 |
First formal class meeting at 8 am in MS 10 |
Oct |
2 |
Deadline for initial payment (half of total) to the
Business Office |
Nov |
1 |
Balance of payment is due the Business Office |
Jan |
4 |
Departure at 12 Noon from DFW for Rome, via Toronto, on
Canada Air flight 1247 |
Jan |
24 |
Return at 9:14 pm to DFW on Air Canada flight 1048 |
Feb |
7 |
Paper due |
Fall Predeparture
Class Schedule
Date |
Topics |
Readings |
|
|
|
9/26 |
Aristotelian mechanics and PtolemyÕs cosmos |
GalileoÕs Daughter |
10/3 |
Renaissance art and perspective |
Readings from M. Kemp, The Science of Art (online) |
10/10 |
Renaissance engineering, scientific instruments, and culture |
Readings from T. Settle (online) |
10/17 |
Quiz 1 Astronomy before Galileo |
Readings from T. Kuhn, The Copernican Revolution (online) |
10/24 |
GalileoÕs life through 1609 GalileoÕs telescopic discoveries and support for the Copernican world system |
S. Drake, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, pp 1-51, 59-108 |
10/31 |
GalileoÕs life as a courtier through 1633 The Galileo Affair: conflict with Rome |
S. Drake, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, pp 175-216 |
11/7 |
Quiz 2 GalileoÕs discoveries in mechanics |
S. Drake, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, pp 231-258; S.
Drake/Galileo, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, pp. 106-157 |
11/14 |
The Newtonian universe |
Readings from J. Gleick, Isaac Newton (online) |
11/21 |
The world according to Einstein |
Readings from M. Kaku, EinsteinÕs Vision (online) |
11/28 |
Quiz 3 Final January preparations |
|
The full schedule of travel, site visits, and hotel accommodations will be distributed during the Fall semester. The activities will be similar to those of the January 2005 course, listed below:
Date |
Activity |
General highlights |
Scientific highlights |
|
|
|
|
Monday - 1/3/05 |
Walking tour of city center |
Cathedral dome (Duomo) |
|
Tuesday - 1/4/05 |
Discussion of Armillary and gnomon by Egnatio Danti
(1536-1586) |
|
|
Santa Maria Novella church |
Strozzi chapel fresco by
Filippino Lippi Major chapel fresco by
Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) Brunelleschi's wooden
crucifix |
Armillary and gnomon by
Danti |
|
Museum of Santa Maria Novella |
Spanish chapel frescos by
Buonaiuto (1343-1377) Courtyard frescos by
Uccello (1397-1475) |
|
|
Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) |
Design by Arnolfo di Cambio
(1245-1302) |
Meridian line (gnomon) of
Toscanelli |
|
Climb of Dome (cupola) |
Universal justice fresco by
Vasari (1511-1574) |
Amazing architectural
achievement of Brunelleschi (1377-1446) |
|
Wednesday - 1/5/05 |
Talk by Galileo expert Tom
Settle at the Science History Museum |
|
|
Science History Museum |
|
Objective lense of
telescope used by Galileo in discovering moons of Jupiter Two of Galileo's original
telescopes Model of type inclined
plane used by Galileo in his motion experiments Military compass given by
Galileo to young Cossimo II |
|
Brancacci Chapel in Church of Santa Maria del
Carmine (Cappella Brancacci) |
Frescos by Masaccio
(1401-1428), Masolino (1383-1440) and Filippino Lippi |
|
|
Thursday - 1/6/05 |
Uffizi Gallery |
Compare Madonna and child
by Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255-1318), Cimabue (1240-1302) and Giotto
(1267-1337) Botticelli (1445-1510) Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519) Duerer (1471-1528) Mantegna (1431-1506) Corregio (1489-1534) Michelangelo Bronzino (1503-1572) Titian (1488-1576) Rubens (1577-1640) Raphaello (1483-1520) |
Portrait of Galileo by
Sustermans (1597-1681) |
Friday - 1/7/05 |
San Gimignano (city with
many medieval towers) |
|
|
Monteriggioni (small walled medieval town) |
|
|
|
Archbishop's palace in Siena |
|
Galileo in Archbishop
Piccolomini's custody here in 1633 |
|
Siena Duomo |
Pergamo by Nicola Pisano
(1220-1278), Piccolomini library |
|
|
Palazzo Pubblico, Siena |
Lorenzetti's (-1348?)
fresco allegories of good and bad government, Maesta fresco by Simone Martini
(1280-1344) |
|
|
Pasticceria Nannini (Siena) |
Ricciarelli (almond pastry)
and vin santo |
|
|
Saturday - 1/8/05 |
Florence Topographical Museum |
Maps and views of Florence
through the ages, Model of Roman Florence |
|
Wednesday - 1/12/05 |
Lecture by Galileo expert
William Shea at the University of Padua |
|
|
Thursday - 1/13/05 |
University of Padua (tour conducted by William
Shea's graduate student Anne and physics student ) |
|
Galileo's lecturn (built by
his students), World's oldest anatomical
theater, 1594, (for human dissection), Aula magna Galileo Galileo
(for formal university functions) |
Caffe Pedrocchi (Europe's
oldest continuously operating cafŽ - since 1831) |
|
|
|
Scrovegni Chapel |
Frescos depicting events in
the lives of Mary and Christ by Giotto, painted1303-05 |
|
|
Civic Museum |
Roman funerary sculpture
from Padua |
|
|
Galileo's house on Via Galileo |
|
|
|
Piazza del Santo |
Statue of Gattamelata by
Donatello (1386-1466) |
|
|
Saint Anthony Cathedral |
Alter, Crucifix by
Donatello, frescos by Altichiero da Verona (1330-1390) |
|
|
Friday - 1/14/05 |
Walking tour of Venice from
the train station over the Rialto bridge to Piazza San Marco (and pigeons) |
|
|
San Marco basilica |
Bizantine reliefs and
mosaics |
|
|
Accademia Galleries |
Works by Lorenzo Veneziano
(died 1372?), Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) Giorgione's (1476-1510) The
Tempest, Andrea Mantegno (1431-1506), Tintoretto (1518-1594), Veronese
(1528-1588), Marco Ricci (1676-1730), Pietro Longhi (1702-1785), Special exhibit of works of
Carravagio (1573-1610) |
|
|
Saturday - 1/15/05 |
Naval history museum |
Model of the bucintoro
(used since thirteenth century in annual marriage of Venice with the sea) |
models of venetian merchant
and naval vessels historical navigation
instuments |
Arsenale |
|
Shipyard visited frequently
by Galileo |
|
Ducal palace |
Administrative, legislative
and judicial rooms of the Venetian republic, Surprising display of
paintings by Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) Paintings by Bellini, Frescos by Veronese and
Tintoretto |
Collection of arms
beginning in early middle ages, Map room with restored 16th
century maps (including Marco Polo's journey) |
|
Correr Museum |
|
Manuscripts from 16th and
17th centuries, historical navigation instruments |
|
Murano island |
Vaporetto pilot navigated
closer to Arsenale and slowed, enabling us to take pictures |
Galileo's first telescope
lenses produced by glass artisans here |
|
Monday - 1/17/05 |
Santa Croce basilica |
Tombs of Machiavelli and
Michelangelo, frescos by Giotto, |
Medici chapel was Galileo's
original burial site, Galileo's tomb now in basilica |
Santa Croce cloister |
Pazzi Chapel, Brunelleschi
architecture, crucifix by Cimabue |
|
|
Palazzo Vecchio |
Building design and art by
Vasari (1511-1574) Hall of Justice and chapel
of the republican priors |
Geography room - maps and
globe by Danti and Buonsignori (?-1589) |
|
San Lorenzo basilica |
Brunelleschi's design, Donatello's bronze pulpits
and sarcophagus in form of wicket basket, Tomb by Verrocchio
(1435-1488) |
Celestial dome in Old
Sacristy depicting night of July 4, 1442 |
|
Tuesday - 1/18/05 |
View of Florence from
Piazzale Michelangelo |
|
City defensive walls
designed by Michelangelo |
San Miniato al Monte |
Benedictine monestary
constructed between 1018 and 1207, crucifix by Michelozzo (1396-1472), fresco
by Taddeo Gaddi (?-1366) |
|
|
Il gioiello (the jewel) in Arcetri (Florence) |
We saw the entire house! |
Galileo's house where he
was confined from 1633 until his death in 1642 |
|
San Matteo convent in Arcetri |
Thanks to Nuvolina for
persuading Father Guiseppe to let us inside, and to Father Guiseppe for his
gracious hospitality and informative commentary |
Home of Galileo's daughter,
Suor Maria Celeste |
|
Leonardo Museum in Vinci |
|
Reproductions of Leonardo
da Vinci's plans with actual models |
|
Leonardo da Vinci's
birthplace near Vinci |
|
|
|
Wednesday - 1/19/05 |
Leaning Tower of Pisa (campanile) |
|
You know the story |
Pisa Cathedral |
|
Galileo's lantern (though
story not true since the lantern was installed two years after Galileo left
Pisa) |
|
Camposanto |
Oldest public museum in
Europe - frescos destroyed in WWII partially restored, frescos by Taddeo
Gaddi, Benozzo Gozzoli (1420-1497) |
Statue of the Pisan
mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (1170?-1250?) |
|
Galileo's University - Universita degli Studi |
|
Galileo was both student
and professor here |
|
Galileo's birth home |
|
|
|
Thursday - 1/20/05 |
Academy Gallery |
David by Michelangelo Medici musical instrument
collection, Festival painting scene by
Scheggio (brother of Massacio) |
|
San Marco Museum |
Dominican monestary cell
frescos by Fra Angelico (1387-1455), library by Michelozzo |
|
|
Medici chapel |
Medici funerary sculpture
by Michelangelo |
|
|
Friday - 1/21/05 |
Bargello Museum |
Donatello's David,
sculpture by Giambologna (1529-1608), Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571),
competition door panels by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti |
|
Walking tour of central Rome |
Spanish steps Piazza Navona Pantheon Trevi Fountain |
|
|
Saturday - 1/22/05 |
coliseum |
|
|
Nero's gold house (domus aurea) |
Recently excavated and
opened, Renaissance artists snuck
into rooms to copy (and imitate) frescos |
|
|
Roman Forum |
|
|
|
Quirinale |
Monte Cavallo fountain |
|
|
Sunday - 1/23/05 |
Saint Peter's basilica |
Celebration of mass, Michelangelo's pieta |
|
Saint Peter's square |
Pope's address |
|
|
Santa Maria Maggiore |
Ceiling fresco by Cigoli
(1559-1613) in Borghese chapel |
Friend of Galielo depicted
imperfect moon in 1611 |
|
Monday - 1/24/05 |
Vatican museums |
Sistine Chapel frescos by
Michelangelo (and other "lesser" artists like Botticelli,
GhirlandaioÉ), Raffaello rooms, including
Athens School fresco, Belvedere torso by ancient
greek Apollonius, Ancient Roman copies of
greek sculptures of the muses |
Map room with 16th century
maps by Danti |
Pantheon |
|
|
|
Piazza Argentina |
Ruins of Senate building
where Cesar was assassinated |
|
|
San Luigi dei Francesi
church |
Paintings by Carravagio
(1571-1610) |
|
|
Farewell dinner at the
Galleria Sciarra Restaurant |
|
|