Galileo Galilei - Florence, Italy - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Sculptor Aristodemo Costoli created this statue of Galileo Galilei which is one of 28 statues of famous Italians on display in the Loggia of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Galileo was born in Pisa, Duchy of Florence on February 15, 1564. He was a leading figure in the Renaissance and he is considered to be the "father of observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", the "father of the scientific method",and the "father of modern science". In his famous experiment from the Tower of Pisa he proved that falling objects fall at the same speed regardless of their weight. He also was first to use a telescope to systematically study the sky and discovered the then heretical fact that four moons circle the planet Jupiter.

Galileo's writings included:

A Study of the Balance (La Billancetta) describing an accurate balance to weigh objects in air or water and The Manual on the Operation of a Geometrical and Military Compass (Le Operazioni del Compasso Geometrico et Militare). His work in dynamics was published in On Motion (Pisan De Motu) and On Mechanics (Paduan Le Meccaniche).

His masterwork The Starry Messenger reported the discovery of four moons orbiting Jupiter that revolutionized man's view of his place in the universe. His 1623 publication The Assayer (Il Saggiatore), challenged the theories of Aristotle, promoted experimentation, and the mathematical formulation of scientific ideas. In 1563 he wrote Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, a defense of his astronomical discoveries for which he nearly was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. He publicly recanted his views before the Inquisition but privately retained them. He was exonerated by the Roman Catholic Church in 1992.

He died in Arcetri, Grand Duchy of Tuscany on January 8, 1642 at age 77.

The stamp was issued by Italy on April 5, 2014 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the birth of Galileo Galilei.