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Florence
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| © 2008 |
Making the most of your time in Florence |
Updated 13 January 2008 |
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Famous Florentine Scientists
- Galileo Galilei (1564 –1642), the son of the famous musician, Vincenzo Galilei, was actually born in Pisa, in the Grand-Duchy of Tuscany. His name is associated to the Cathedral of Pisa, where it is said his observation of a swaying chandelier prompted him to develop the theory of the pendulum, a theory that was essential for the development of, among other things, more precise clocks. The leaning Tower of Pisa is also associated with him, as it was from its top that he carried out his experiments objects of different weight and the force of gravity, where he proved that the Aristotelian theory that the acceleration of gravity depends on the weight of the objects falling. Galileo was a protégé of the Grand-Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, and, though having problems with the Inquisition, was condemned to no more than house arrest, which he spent at a villa in Arcetri.
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