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Secondary sourceSculpture1737

Tomb of Galileo Galilei

1737

The monumental tomb of Galileo in the Basilica of Santa Croce, built decades after his death once the Church's resistance eased.

This tomb was built to honor Galileo decades after his death, marking his eventual rehabilitation in public memory.

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Marble tomb monument of Galileo Galilei in a church interior with frescoed walls. A central bust of a bearded man with a pointing hand sits in a niche under an arched pediment. Two marble allegorical female figures flank the sarcophagus, and an inscription panel is below.
Tomb of Galileo Galilei, Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, 1737.

About this source

What it is

This is the tomb monument of Galileo Galilei, located in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. It includes a central bust of a bearded man in a niche, flanked by two marble allegorical female figures, above a sarcophagus and inscription panel.

Why it matters

The tomb was erected only in 1737, long after Galileo's death, reflecting decades of reluctance by the Church to honor a man who had been condemned for his scientific views. Its grand design shows how Galileo's reputation changed over time, from a condemned figure to one celebrated with a monumental memorial inside one of Florence's most important churches.

Look closer

  • Why do you think it took so long after Galileo's death for this tomb to be built?
  • What do the allegorical figures and bust suggest about how Galileo was meant to be remembered?
  • How might the setting, inside a major church, connect to the earlier conflict between Galileo and the Church?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Galileo Galilei on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the 1610 Latin book Sidereus Nuncius by Galileo Galilei, printed in Venice by Thomas Baglionus. Black text in several type styles, with a central woodcut emblem of a seated figure in an oval frame flanked by cherubs. Handwritten shelfmark appears at the bottom.Book

Primary source

Sidereus Nuncius

Galileo Galilei · 1610

Engraved oval portrait print of a bearded older man with receding hair, wearing a white collar and a buttoned dark coat, in an oval frame. Inscribed 'Galileus Galileus Florentinus' at top, 'Eques Octavius Leonus' and 'Romanus pictor fecit' at bottom, and dated '16 24' with 'Superiorum licentia'. Printed on cream paper with a grayscale color scale at right.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of Galileo Galilei (1624 print)

1624

Oil portrait of an elderly bearded man with a white collar, wearing a black robe, seated at a table with books, a pair of dividers in his raised hand, and a celestial globe to the left, in a dark background. A brass plaque on the frame reads Galileo Galilei.Painting

Primary source

Oil Portrait of Galileo in His Study

Unknown Italian painter · 18th century (?)

Oval-framed line engraving of an older bearded man in a large white collar and dark doublet, with a Latin inscription above reading Galileus Galileus Florentinus, and an artist credit below. Handwritten Italian caption on mount beneath.Painting

Primary source

Galileo Galilei, line engraving by Ottavio Leoni

Ottavio Leoni · 1624

Title page of the 1632 Florentine edition of Galileo Galilei's Dialogo, printed in large serif capitals with a decorative woodcut emblem, imprint 'In Fiorenza, Per Gio: Batista Landini MDCXXXII', and several library stamps and handwritten shelf marks.Book

Primary source

Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems

Galileo Galilei · 1632

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