Reading Galileo's Letters

Essays by many of the foremost experts on Galileo offer an interdisciplinary approach to the legendary scientist’s correspondence.

The Tuscan mathematician, physicist, and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) is one of history’s most iconic and controversial figures. Letters form the backbone of what one early Galileo scholar called the “private Galileo,” and his correspondence is indeed a record of his family and friendships; his intellectual evolution; his professional interactions with other scientific figures; and his relations with patrons, brokers, and publishers. Last, but hardly least, his letters are a unique cultural artifact of Galileo the writer and master of vernacular prose. 

Galileo’s correspondence crossed Europe in public mail pouches, through diplomatic messengers, and was written in code. Today, there are 3,272 surviving letters to or from Galileo and his many friends, family members, disciples, and rivals across Europe. This volume examines these letters as an essential aspect of Galileo’s personal and scientific career. They are what the editors call his “experiments in friendship,” which enabled, abetted, and often served as early drafts of the theories in his published works. This collaborative volume brings together different approaches, case studies, and forms of expertise—historical and literary, intellectual and material, archival and digital. It is a must-read for all Galileo enthusiasts and anyone interested in how to make the most of a rich record of correspondence.