Memorials

S. Croce 038f.2 Tomba monumentale di Galileo Galilei, 1737

Situated In

friary of S. Croce -- chiesa -- left aisle

Memorial Type
Status	extant
Current Repository	in situ
Primary Installation	wall
Secondary Installation	frn
Tomb Form	wall tomb
Liturgical Orientation	N
Height	700.0
Width	460.0
Depth	75.0
Component Parts	coffin sculpture in the round frame base
Decorative Elements	portrait
Material	stucco light, malleable plaster made from dehydrated lime (calcium carbonate) mixed with powdered marble and glue and sometimes reinforced with hair. It sets more slowly than regular plaster and so is suitable for crafting sculpture and architectural decoration, external and internal. Differs from most other plasters which are made with calcium sulfate, rather than the calcium carbonate used in stucco, and set much more quickly Getty ID: 300014966
Database ID	32072

Dates

1737

Inscriptions (1 total)

2611

GALILAEVS GALILEIVS PATRIC. FLOR. / GEOMETRIAE ASTRONOMIAE PHILOSOPHIAE MAXIMVS RESTITVTOR / NVLLI AETATIS SVAE COMPARANDVS / HIC BENE QVIESCAT / VIX.A.LXXVIII.OBIIT.A.CIↃ.IↃ.C.XXXXI. / CVRANTIBVS AETERNVM PATRIAE DECVS / X.VIRIS PATRICIIS SACRAE HVIVS AEDIS PRAEFECTIS / MONIMENTVM A VINCENTIO VIVIANIO MAGISTRI CINERI SIBIQVE SIMVL / TESTAMENTO F.I. / HERES IO. BAPT. CLEMENS NELLIVS IO. BAPT. SENATORIS F. / LVBENTI ANIMO ABSOLVIT. AN. CIↃ.IↃ.CCXXXVII.

Galileo Galilei, a Florentine patrician, the greatest restorer of geometry, astronomy, and philosophy, comparable to none of his age, may he rest well here. He lived 78 years. He died in the year 1641 [o.s.] Taking care of the eternal glory of the country, ten patrician men, the operai of this sacred temple, with Vincenzo Viviani having ordered them by his testament to make a monument for the ashes of his teacher and for himself at the same time, his heir Giovanni Battista Chimenti Nelli, son of senator Giovanni Battista, with a willing heart completed it in the year 1737.

Individuals (5 total)

Viviani Franchi, Vincenzio di Jacopo di Michelangelo	September 22nd, 1703	a
Galilei, Galileo di Vincenzo di Michelangelo di Giovanni di Michele	1737
Nelli, Giovanni Battista Clemente (senatore) di Sen. Giovanni Batista di Agostino di Giovanni Battista di Agostino	1737
Viviani Franchi, Vincenzio di Jacopo di Michelangelo	1737
Galilei, Galileo di Vincenzo di Michelangelo di Giovanni di Michele	1737 to present

Groups (3 total)

Galilei	1737 to present
Viviani	1737 to present	b
Nelli	1737 to present	c

Related Memorials (2 total)

S. Croce 003c tomb of Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1570 d	1737 to present
S. Croce 038f.1 ossa e ceneri del astronomo Galileo Galilei	1737

Notes

[a] The mathematician Vincenzo Viiviani left funds in his will to build a tomb for himself and the ashes of his teacher Galileo Galilei, whose remains were in a deposit in a small room near the novitiate of Santa Croce. The project was not completed until 1737.
[b] Vincenzo Viviani left funds in his will to construct a tomb in honor of his mentor Galileo Galilei. His descendant Giovanni Battista Clemente Nelli commissioned the work in 1737 and included both of their names in the inscription.
[c] Vincenzo Viviani left funds in his will to construct a tomb in honor of his mentor Galileo Galilei. His descendant Giovanni Battista Clemente Nelli commissioned the work in 1737 and included both of their names in the inscription.
[d] The tombs of Michelangelo (1570) and Galileo (1737) face each other across the nave of Santa Croce.