 Observations with the telescope |
This room illustrates in precise chronological sequence the origin and early development of the telescope, an instrument destined to revolutionize man's concept of the universe. Two original telescopes are on exhibit, the only ones surviving from the many constructed in Galileo's own workshop starting in 1610. The development of this instruments is shown throughout the course of the seventeenth century; a century in which the Italian master craftsmen and astronomer/constructors maintained unchallenged superiority over their foreign counterparts. Here we can admire telescopes built by Evangelista Torricelli (1608-47), Eustachio Divini (1620-85), and Giuseppe Campani (1635-1715), who engaged in fierce competition to excel in this field. With the instruments on display in this room, many important discoveries in astronomy were made, contributing to the triumph of the Copernican view. Another exhibit of major importance in this room is the first instrument for binocular viewing, donated by its inventor, Cherubin d'Orleans, to Leopoldo de' Medici (1617-75). |