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25.08.

1609: Galileo Galilei Presents his Version of the Telescope in Venice

1609: Galileo Galilei Presents his Version of the Telescope in Venice
Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons/Tomb of Galileo Galilei, Santa Croce

Story Highlights

  • Historical event
  • 25 August 1609
  • The Venetian officials were allegedly pleased with Galileo’s telescope so the Senate doubled his salary, and he could hold the lifelong position of a lecturer at the University of Padua.

On this day in 1609, the famous scientist Galileo Galilei presented his version of the telescope to the Venetian doge and other senior officials in Venice.



The telescope was something akin to a wonder of the technological world at the time. Only a year before that, the Dutch had made the first telescope.

It seems that Galileo heard that, and immediately made his version of the telescope. When he had seen that the device was working, he went to Venice and presented it to the Venetian officials.

Leonardo Donato served as doge at the time. A few years before Galileo’s mentioned presentation, the doge had been involved in the affair, which became well known.

Namely, the doge and the Venetian authorities had a dispute with the Pope Paul V (born as Camillo Borghese). The Venetian authorities treated the two priests as criminals.




They continued to do so, and the Pope issued a papal interdict on Venice, i.e.  they could not celebrate the Holy Mass and administer the sacraments.

The Venetians were defiant and a war almost broke out. A year later, the situation was resolved. Foreign countries also helped them resolve the situation.

The Venetian officials were allegedly pleased with Galileo’s telescope so the Senate doubled his salary, and he could hold the lifelong position of a lecturer at the University of Padua.

A year later, Galileo made remarkable discoveries in astronomy (he discovered the four moons of Jupiter).

 

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