The other
Renaissance: Galileo
and the beginning
of science
Provisional dates: 24 - 28 March 2014
Morning Lecture
The ancient philosophers and the rise of Humanism
Afternoon Visit
The celestial spheres - the movement of the heavens: a visit to the planetarium
Morning Lecture
Afternoon Lecture
Falling bodies - seeing is believing: a new sort of reality
Morning Lecture
Through the looking glass: children’s toys and secret codes
Science is often placed as the counterweight or opposite of art, but for
an individual at the birth of the modern world, they were partners. The
true Renaissance Man was as much a scientist as an artist, a poet or a
philosopher. The Humanists were as interested in Pythagoras as they were
Plato.
Morning Lecture
Lecturer
Ted Metcalfe PhD
holds a doctorate in Chemistry from the Queen’s University of Belfast,
and originally arrived in Florence as a post doctoral research assistant
at the Polo Scientifico, University of Florence. In a move away from the
pure research he has taught Sciences at several Florence based university
programmes for over 7 years, including Science in Art, Chemistry in the
Visual Arts, and Galileo.
Tuesday
Calendars old and new - getting to the church on time: how Easter smashed the
heavenly spheres
The Renaissance helped shape the modern world. An often overlooked
but major part of the Renaissance is the beginnings of modern science.
We will explore the origins of modern science as well as the legacy of
Galileo’s remarkable life.
This period in science is as fascinating and complex as any episode from
the time. Told from an everyman point of view, this course will provide a
new facet to the city of Florence and the Renaissance, and to the beginning
of the modern era.
Monday
Wednesday
Afternoon Visit
The Galileo Museum: exploring instruments and relics from the Medici and
Lorraine collections
Thursday
Wandering heretics and thirty-year meetings: political turmoil and the seeds of
a crisis
Afternoon Lecture
Paradise lost: the rise and fall of Galileo
Morning Visit
Galileo memorials: a tour of the monuments to Galileo’s genius
Afternoon Lecture
Legacy: modern interpretations of Galileo’s story and his role in science
Friday