Chronology
Galileo Member of the Lincei
1617-1630
On
August 17, 1603, at the initiative of the young Prince Federico Cesi, the
Accademia dei Lincei, the first European society in which scientific themes
assumed a role of central importance, was founded in Rome. The emblem chosen
for the academy was the lynx, a metaphor for sharp, penetrating sight. Galileo
became a member on April 25, 1611.
The
more enlightened Academics, who had realized the innovative potential of
Galileo's science, supported the scientist's battle against the advocates of
the dominant Aristotelian philosophy and, later, against the hostility of the
ecclesiastical authorities, that of the Jesuits of the Collegio Romano in
particular.
Under
the auspices of the Accademia, two classic texts by Galileo, the Istoria e dimostrazioni intorno alle macchie
solari [History and Demonstration on
the Solar Spots] (Rome,
1613) and
Il Saggiatore [The Assayer] (Rome,
1623) were
published. In 1624 the Pisan scientist developed the first known example of the
microscope, with which some Academicians conducted advanced studies in natural
science. The institution was dissolved in 1630 when Cesi died at an early age.
The
modern Accademia dei Lincei, heir to these illustrious traditions, is located
today in Rome, in the prestigious Palazzo Corsini.