GALILEO AND THE MEASUREMENT OF TIME
The new section of the Museo Galileo opens in Florence
Officine Panerai donates the first Jupiterium for display
The Museo Galileo in Florence, in partnership with Officine Panerai, is inaugurating a new permanent area dedicated to “Galileo and the measurement of time” – an interactive space consisting of three rooms, illustrating the fundamental role of Galileo’s discoveries in the development of timekeeping systems.
Mechanical models, exhibits operated directly by the user and interactive touch screens illustrate the innovative intuitions and solutions through which Galileo introduced revolutionary new ideas in the architecture of the universe and the science of motion. His ideas also led to the creation of ingenious devices for transforming the primitive, mechanical clocks in use at the time into reliable instruments. Thanks to these innovative solutions, Galileo hoped to solve at last the crucial problem of determining longitude at sea.
In these three new rooms, visitors will journey along the pathways that led to Galileo’s confirmation of the Copernican structure of the universe thanks to the telescope; to his definition of the strict mathematical laws that rule the phenomena of motion; and to his discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, a true milestone in the history of timekeeping.
To celebrate Galileo’s contribution to modern horology, Officine Panerai has offered fundamental support to the realisation of the interactive area. It has also constructed and donated to the Museo Galileo the Jupiterium, an exceptional planetary clock with a perpetual calendar, which shows the movements of Jupiter and its four satellites discovered by the Tuscan scientist. Standing at the centre of the second room, the Jupiterium shows with extreme precision the positions of the Moon, the Sun, Jupiter and the four Galilean satellites as seen by an observer on Earth, against a background of fixed stars.
The last of the three rooms in the new interactive section displays a spectacular working reconstruction of the Planetary Clock designed by Lorenzo della Volpaia for Lorenzo de’ Medici and completed in 1510, in addition to the complex mechanisms of some ancient turret clocks.
“Thanks to its fruitful and longstanding partnership with Officine Panerai – stated Professor Paolo Galluzzi, Director of the Museo Galileo – the Museo Galileo has opened a new section, illustrating some of Galileo’s most outstanding achievements, through fascinating exhibits and interactive models. Achievements that not only revolutionised the structure of the universe and of motion, but also led to dramatic improvement in mechanical systems for measuring time, initiating the ongoing process of development that has continued up to the present day. The extraordinary mechanical complexity and absolute precision of the Jupiterium, designed and constructed by Officine Panerai and generously donated to the Museo Galileo, is an evocative example of the close bond between tradition and innovation. The Jupiterium is in fact the solution to what was one of Galileo’s dreams
– that of using the motion of Jupiter’s satellites as a perfect planetary clock
– pursued by him with extraordinary intelligence and admirable determination”.
“We are proud – stated Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai – to renew our longstanding partnership with the Museo Galileo and to contribute to disseminating knowledge of the role played by Galileo in the field of mechanical clock making. Galileo’s legacy is a boundless source of inspiration to Officine Panerai, not only for our common Tuscan origins, but also for the passionate commitment to research and exploration represented by his work”.
MUSEO GALILEO – Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza
Piazza dei Giudici 1
50122 Firenze
Tel. +39 055 265311
Fax +39 055 2653130
info@museogalileo.it
www.museogalileo.it
Opening times
Open all through the week 9:30 am - 6:00 pm; Tuesdays 9:30 am - 1:00 pm.
chua
Panerai Forum Moderator
