University of Pisa where Galileo studied. Galileo Galilei: a short biography

Galileo Galileo (02/15/1564 – 01/08/1642) was an Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher who made a great contribution to the development of science. Discovered experimental physics, laid the foundation for the development classical mechanics, made major discoveries in astronomy.

Early years

Galileo, a native of the city of Pisa, had a noble origin, but his family was not rich. Galileo was the eldest child of four (a total of six children were born in the family, but two died). Since childhood, the boy was drawn to creativity: like his musician father, he was seriously interested in music, was an excellent drawer and understood issues visual arts. He also had a literary gift, which allowed him to later express his scientific research in his writings.

He was an outstanding student at the monastery school. He wanted to become a clergyman, but changed his mind due to the rejection of this idea by his father, who insisted that his son receive a medical education. So at the age of 17, Galileo went to the University of Pisa, where, in addition to medicine, he studied geometry, which fascinated him greatly.

Already at this time, the young man was characterized by the desire to defend his own position, without fear of established authoritative opinions. Constantly argued with teachers on science issues. I studied at the university for three years. It is assumed that at that time Galileo learned the teachings of Copernicus. He was forced to quit his studies when his father could no longer pay for it.

Thanks to the fact that the young man managed to make several inventions, he was noticed. The Marquis del Monte, who was very fond of science and had good capital, especially admired him. So Galileo found a patron, who also introduced him to the Duke of Medici and got him a job as a professor at the same university. This time Galileo focused on mathematics and mechanics. In 1590, he published his work - the treatise “On Movement”.

Professor in Venice

From 1592 to 1610, Galileo taught at the University of Padua, became the head of the mathematics department, and was famous in scientific circles. Galileo's most active activity occurred at this time. He was very popular among students who dreamed of attending his classes. Famous scientists corresponded with him, and the authorities constantly set new technical tasks for Galileo. At the same time, the treatise “Mechanics” was published.

When a new star was discovered in 1604, his scientific research turned to astronomy. In 1609, he assembled the first telescope, with the help of which he seriously advanced the development of astronomical science. Galileo described the surface of the Moon, the Milky Way, and discovered the satellites of Jupiter. His book The Starry Messenger, published in 1610, was a huge success and made the telescope a popular purchase in Europe. But along with recognition and veneration, the scientist is also accused of the illusory nature of his discoveries, as well as of his desire to harm the medical and astrological sciences.

Soon, Professor Galileo entered into an unofficial marriage with Marina Gamba, who bore him three children. Having responded to an offer of a high position in Florence from the Duke of Medici, he moves and becomes an adviser at court. This decision allowed Galileo to pay off large debts, but partly played a disastrous role in his fate.

Life in Florence

In a new place, the scientist continued his astronomical research. It was typical for him to present his discoveries in a cocky style, which greatly irritated other figures, as well as the Jesuits. This led to the formation of an anti-Galilean society. The main complaint from the church was the heliocentric system, which contradicts religious texts.

In 1611, the scientist went to Rome to meet with the head of the Catholic Church, where he was received quite warmly. There he introduced the telescope to the cardinals and tried, with caution, to give some explanations. Later, encouraged by a successful visit, he published his letter to the abbot that Scripture could not have authority in matters of science, which attracted the attention of the Inquisition.

Galileo demonstrates the laws of gravity (fresco by D. Bezzoli, 1841)

His 1613 book “Letters on Sunspots” contained open support for the teachings of N. Copernicus. In 1615, the Inquisition opened its first case against Galileo. And after he called on the Pope to express his final point of view on Copernicanism, the situation only worsened. In 1616, the church declared heliocentrism a heresy and banned Galileo's book. Galileo's attempts to correct the situation led to nothing, but they promised not to persecute him if he stopped supporting the teachings of Copernicus. But for a scientist convinced of his rightness, this was impossible.

Nevertheless, for a while he decided to turn his energy in a different direction, taking up criticism of the teachings of Aristotle. The result was his book “The Assay Master,” written in 1623. At the same time, Galileo Barberini's longtime friend was elected Pope. Hoping to lift the ban on the church, the scientist went to Rome, where he was well received, but did not achieve what he wanted. Galileo further decided to continue to defend the truth in his writings, considering several scientific points of view from a position of neutrality. His "Dialogue Concerning the Two World Systems" lays the foundations for the new mechanics.

Galileo's conflict with the church

Having submitted his “Dialogue” to the Catholic censor in 1630, Galileo waited a year, after which he resorted to a trick: he wrote a preface about the rejection of Copernicanism as a teaching. As a result, permission was received. Published in 1632, the book did not contain the author's specific conclusions, although it clearly made sense in the argumentation of the Copernican system. The work was written in accessible Italian, the author also independently sent copies to the highest ministers of the church.

A few months later, the book was banned and Galileo was called to trial. He was arrested and held in captivity for 18 days. Thanks to the efforts of his student Duke, the scientist was shown leniency, although he was allegedly still tortured. The investigation lasted two months, after which Galileo was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, and he also had to renounce his own “delusions.” He did not actually utter the now famous phrase “Still it turns,” which is attributed to Galileo. This legend was invented by the Italian literary figure D. Baretti.

Galileo before the Judgment (K. Bunty, 1857)

Old age

The scientist did not stay in prison for long; he was allowed to live on the Medici estate, and after five months he was allowed to return home, where he continued to be monitored. Galileo settled in Arcetri near the monastery where his daughters served, and spent last years under house arrest. He was subject to a large number of prohibitions, which made it difficult for him to undergo treatment and communicate with friends. Later they were allowed to visit the scientist one at a time.

Despite the difficulties, Galileo continued to work in non-prohibited scientific areas. He published a book about mechanics, planned to anonymously publish a book in defense of his views, but did not have time. After the death of his beloved daughter, he became blind, but continued to work and wrote a work on kinematics, published in Holland and which became the basis for the research of Huygens and Newton.

Galileo died and was buried in Arcetri; the church prohibited burial in the family crypt and the erection of monuments to the scientist. His grandson, the last representative of the family, having become a monk, destroyed valuable manuscripts. In 1737, the remains of the scientist were transferred to the family tomb. It was only in the late 70s of the last century that the Catholic Church rehabilitated Galileo; in 1992, the mistake of the Inquisition was officially recognized.

Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei is known as one of the greatest scientific minds. During his life, however, he was persecuted by the Catholic Church for his beliefs that the Sun, not the Earth, was at the center of the universe. Find out more about the iconic scientist, including whether he invented the telescope, what punishment he received after being tried by the Roman Inquisition, and how his middle finger ended up in a museum.

He was dropped out of college

Galileo, whose father was a lutenist and music theorist, was born in Pisa, Italy. Although his father was from a noble family, he was not rich. At the age of ten, Galileo began studying at a monastery near Florence and intended to become a monk. However, his father was against his son leading a religious life, so he took Galileo from the monastery. At the age of 16, Galileo entered the University of Pisa to study medicine at the insistence of his father. Instead, however, he became interested in mathematics and focused on it. Galileo left the university in 1585 without receiving a diploma. He continued his mathematical studies on his own and earned money by giving private lessons, then returned in 1589 to the University of Pisa to teach mathematics there.

He didn't invent the telescope

Galileo did not invent the telescope - this discovery is credited to Dutch lens maker Hans Lippershey. However, he was the first person to systematically use optical instruments to study the sky. Lippershey's 1608 telescope patent application is the earliest, but the Dutch government decided that the telescope was too easy to copy, especially since another scientist had already demonstrated a similar device the year before, so the patent was refused. In 1609, Galileo learned about the device and developed his own version, greatly improving the design. In the fall of that year, he pointed a telescope at the moon and found that it was covered with craters and mountains - thereby debunking the common belief that the surface of the moon is smooth.

His daughters were nuns

Galileo had three children with a woman named Marina Gamba, whom he never married. In 1613, he sent his two daughters, Virginia, born in 1600, and Livia, born a year later, to a convent near Florence, where they remained for the rest of their lives, despite their father's troubles with the Catholic Church. Galileo maintained a close relationship with his eldest daughter, known as Sister Mary Celeste. At the monastery, she sewed and baked for him when she was freed from her tasks. He, in turn, organized the supply of food and other necessary things to the impoverished monastery. Galileo's son Vincenzo, born in 1606, studied medicine at the University of Pisa, married and lived in Florence.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment

The heliocentric theory of how the universe functions has posed a major challenge to the widely held belief that the Earth is the center of the solar system. In 1616, the Catholic Church declared the theory heretical because it was seen as contradicting certain passages from the Bible. Galileo received permission from the Catholic Church to study Copernicus' ideas as long as he did not promote or defend them. In 1632, he published his famous book, which presented the debate between Ptolemy and Copernicus. The book was seen as supporting the ideas of Copernicus, resulting in Galileo being tried by the Roman Inquisition a year later. He was found guilty of heresy, forced to publicly repent, and sentenced to life in prison.

He spent his last years under house arrest

Although Galileo was sentenced to life imprisonment, his sentence was soon changed to house arrest. He lived his last years in a villa in his home town of Arcetri, near Florence. He could not meet with friends and publish books, but nevertheless he was visited famous people from all over Europe, such as the philosopher Thomas Hobbes and the poet John Milton. In addition, he managed to transfer the manuscript of a new work, which was published in 1638 - the same year Galileo became completely blind. He died on January 8, 1642, aged 77.

His middle finger is in a museum

After his death, Galileo was buried in the chapel of the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. Almost a century later, in 1737, while the scientist's remains were being transported to a place of honor in the Basilica of Santa Croce, three fingers, a vertebra and a tooth were removed from the body. Two fingers and a tooth of Galileo were kept by one of his admirers - parts of the scientist’s body were passed down from generation to generation, at the beginning of the 19th century it seemed that they were lost forever, until they appeared at auction in 2009, where they were bought by one of the collectors. Meanwhile the third finger, which is the middle finger right hand, was part of the exhibition of many Italian museums. The stolen vertebra ended up at the University of Padua, where Galileo taught from 1592 to 1610.

NASA named a spacecraft in his honor

In 1989, NASA and a team from Germany launched spaceship, who received the name Galileo. Arriving on Jupiter in 1995, spacecraft became the first to study the planet and its moons over a long period of time.

The Vatican did not admit that Galileo was right until 1992

In 1979, Pope John Paul II initiated an investigation into the Catholic Church's condemnation of Galileo. Thirteen years later and 359 years after the trial of the Inquisition, the Pope closed the investigation and issued an official apology in which he acknowledged the mistakes made by the judges during the trial.

Galileo Galileo - outstanding Italian scientist, author large quantity important astronomical discoveries, mathematician, founder of experimental physics, creator of the foundations of classical mechanics, a gifted literary person - was born into the family of a famous musician, an impoverished nobleman on February 15, 1564 in Pisa. His full name sounds like Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de Galilei. Art in its various manifestations interested young Galileo since childhood; he not only fell in love with painting and music throughout his life, but was also a true master in these fields.

Having been educated in a monastery, Galileo thought about a career as a clergyman, but his father insisted that his son study to become a doctor, and in 1581 the 17-year-old young man began to study medicine at the University of Pisa. During his studies, Galileo showed great interest in mathematics and physics, had his own point of view on many issues, different from the opinions of the luminaries, and was known as a great lover of discussions. Due to the family's financial difficulties, Galileo did not study for even three years and in 1585 was forced to return to Florence without an academic degree.

In 1586 Galileo published the first scientific work called "Small Hydrostatic Balance". Having looked at young man remarkable potential, he was taken under the wing of the wealthy Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte, who was interested in science, thanks to whose efforts Galileo received a paid scientific position. In 1589, he returned to the University of Pisa, but as a professor of mathematics - there he began to work on his own research in the field of mathematics and mechanics. In 1590, his work “On Movement”, which criticized Aristotelian teaching, was published.

In 1592, a new, extremely fruitful stage began in Galileo’s biography, associated with his move to the Venetian Republic and teaching at the University of Padua, a rich educational institution with an excellent reputation. The scientist’s scientific authority grew rapidly; in Padua he quickly became the most famous and popular professor, respected not only scientific community, but also by the government.

Galileo's scientific research received new impetus due to the discovery in 1604 of the star known today as Kepler's supernova and the resulting increased general interest in astronomy. At the end of 1609, he invented and created the first telescope, with the help of which he made a number of discoveries described in the work “Starry Messenger” (1610) - for example, the presence of mountains and craters on the Moon, satellites of Jupiter, etc. The book produced a real sensation and brought Galileo pan-European fame. His personal life was also arranged during this period: a civil marriage with Marina Gamba subsequently gave him three beloved children.

The fame of the great scientist did not relieve Galileo of financial problems, which was the impetus for moving to Florence in 1610, where, thanks to Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, he managed to obtain a prestigious and well-paid position as a court adviser with light responsibilities. Galileo continues to do scientific discoveries, among which were, in particular, the presence of spots on the Sun, its rotation around its axis. The camp of the scientist’s ill-wishers was constantly growing, not least because of his habit of expressing his views in a harsh, polemical manner, and because of his growing influence.

In 1613, the book “Letters on Sunspots” was published with an open defense of Copernicus’s views on the device solar system, which undermined the authority of the church, because did not coincide with the postulates of the sacred scriptures. In February 1615, the Inquisition began its first case against Galileo. Already in March of the same year, heliocentrism was officially declared a dangerous heresy, and therefore the scientist’s book was banned - with a warning from the author about the inadmissibility of further support of Copernicanism. Returning to Florence, Galileo changed tactics, making the teachings of Aristotle the main object of his critical mind.

In the spring of 1630, the scientist sums up his many years of work in the “Dialogue about two major systems world - Ptolemaic and Copernican." The book, published by hook or by crook, attracted the attention of the Inquisition, as a result of which a couple of months later it was withdrawn from sale, and its author was summoned to Rome on February 13, 1633, where until June 21 an investigation was conducted into accusing him of heresy. Faced with a difficult choice, Galileo, in order to avoid the fate of Giordano Bruno, renounced his views and spent the rest of his life under house arrest in his villa near Florence, under the strictest control of the Inquisition.

But even under such conditions, he did not stop his scientific activities, although everything that came from his pen was censored. In 1638, his work “Conversations and Mathematical Proofs...”, secretly sent to Holland, was published, on the basis of which Huygens and Newton subsequently continued to develop the postulates of mechanics. The last five years of the biography were overshadowed by illness: Galileo worked, being practically blind, with the help of his students.

The greatest scientist, who died on January 8, 1642, was buried as a mere mortal; the Pope did not give permission for the installation of the monument. In 1737, his ashes were solemnly reburied, according to the dying will of the deceased, in the Basilica of Santa Croce. In 1835, work was completed to exclude Galileo’s works from the list of prohibited literature, begun on the initiative of Pope Benedict XIV in 1758, and in October 1992, Pope John Paul II, following the results of the work of a special rehabilitation commission, officially recognized the error of the Inquisition’s actions against Galileo Galilei.

The middle of the 16th century...The Renaissance is coming to an end, Europe is on the threshold of the New Age...Ahead scientific revolution, greatest discoveries and inventions that will change the worldview of, if not everyone, then the majority... In the meantime, only the first uncertain steps are being taken in changing the picture of the world. Everyone also believes that the Sun revolves around the Earth, which is the center of the Universe. The Bible points to this, these are the foundations of faith.

But the first signals have already sounded that this theory is incorrect. Nicolaus Copernicus had his say. And his followers appeared who were not afraid to speak out against the almighty Church and its Inquisition. Fires were lit throughout Europe to burn out this heresy. After all, if everyone believes, then it turns out that the Pope and his conclave have been deceiving for so many centuries? AND Holy Bible is it also false? Oh, how unprofitable this is for Rome, what an undermining of the authority of the Catholic faith. And how easy it is to uproot this idea, there is no evidence, just assumptions and unfounded statements. And no one knows that very soon a boy will be born who will finally destroy the geocentric theory. And his name is Galileo Galilei.

First steps to glory

Galileo Galilei's birthplace is Italy., a country that has given the world more than one genius. On February 15, 1564, in the Italian city of Pisa, a child was born into an impoverished aristocratic family who was to immortalize his name in world history. He was named Galileo Galilei. One of the greatest minds of mankind, unrecognized in his time and fully justified and recognized by the Catholic Church only in 1992 of the last century. His life and work are studied in detail by historians and scientists. More than one generation of schoolchildren and students has been writing abstracts and reports on the topic “Galileo Galilei”.

The father of the future scientist, Vincenzo Galilei, was a famous lutenist and music theorist who made a significant contribution to the development of such a genre as opera. Mother Julia took care of the house and raised the children. There were four of them, Galileo was the eldest. From early childhood, the boy showed talents in many areas of knowledge - he drew excellently, showed literary abilities, easily studied foreign languages and exact sciences. He inherited a love of music from his father. But the boy dreamed of devoting his life to science.

First years of study passed at the monastery school. Galileo even wanted to become a priest, but did not dare to go against the will of his father. At the age of 17, he entered the University of Pisa at the Faculty of Medicine, as his father dreamed of seeing his son become a famous doctor. And it was here that a complete revolution in Galileo Galilei’s worldview took place - attending mathematical courses in geometry and algebra changed his future fate. At the same time, he first encountered Copernicus’ theory of heliocentrism and became interested in it. From this acquaintance, Galileo's philosophy was formed, which he followed until the end of his days.

A talented and promising student was unable to continue his studies at the university and obtain a doctorate. The family's financial situation was so deplorable that, after studying for three years, Galileo was forced to return home. But during this time he had already made one of his inventions - hydrostatic scales, thereby attracting attention and acquiring a patron. Marquis Guidobaldo del Monto persuaded the Tuscan Duke to give Galileo a paid scientific position.

Activities at the University

In 1589 he returned to the University of Pisa to teach mathematical sciences. Here he not only teaches, but also practices research work in the field of mechanics. In 1592 he moved to the University of Padua, where, in addition to mathematics and mechanics, he turned his attention to astronomy. His lectures were extremely popular among students. The scientist’s authority rose to unprecedented heights not only among his colleagues. The government also appreciated him, providing full support in all his endeavors. This is the most fruitful period in his work. Here his basic principles and views began to emerge.

Astronomical discoveries

It was opened in 1604 new star, and this became the impetus for Galileo to take astronomy seriously. Not long before this, a spotting scope was invented in Holland. Having become interested in this device, Galileo first constructed a telescope in 1609, which allowed him to observe stellar bodies himself and make a series important discoveries, which played an important role in his future life. What were these discoveries?

1. Observing the Moon, the scientist first pointed out that it was a planet that could be compared with the Earth. There is a landscape - mountains, plains and lunar craters.
2. He discovered the satellites of Jupiter, which he mistakenly mistook for independent planets.
3. Milky Way did not appear as a continuous stripe that can be observed with the naked eye. Through a telescope, Galileo saw that this was a huge cluster of individual stars.
4. I saw spots on the Sun. Long-term observation of this star allowed Galileo to prove Copernicus' theory - it is the Earth that revolves around the Sun, and not vice versa. In addition, he proved that the Sun, like our planet, rotates around its axis.
5. At Saturn I was able to see the surroundings, which I considered to be planets. It was later proven that these were rings.
6. He pointed out that Venus is closer to the Sun and has its own rotation phases.

He published all his observations in his book “Starry Messenger,” which attracted the close attention of the church and the Inquisition. After all, he provided direct evidence of the heliocentric theory, which ran counter to the accepted dogmas of the Catholic faith. From time to time, anonymous denunciations were written against Galileo, but thanks to high patrons in the government and friends among the priests, they were managed not to be made public.

Conflict with the Catholic Church

In 1611 on the wave of his success, Galileo went to Rome to personally try to prove that the teachings of Copernicus did not threaten the power and authority of the Church. Initially he was treated with cordiality. He was honored with a meeting with the Pope and his cardinals, to whom he demonstrated the telescope and its capabilities. But after the publication of the book “Letters on Sunspots” in 1613, an already open confrontation with the Inquisition began. In the winter of 1615, the first case was opened against him, and a year later, during which Galileo was in Rome under supervision, the doctrine of heliocentrism was officially recognized as a heresy, and the scientist’s book was included in the list of prohibited books.

After this decision, which caused a lot of discontent among the astronomer, he was allowed to return to Florence. Indignant and firmly believing that he was right, Galileo did not abandon Copernicanism and did not abandon his attempts to prove that his theory was correct. Only he did this carefully, criticizing Aristotle’s theory.

Over the next 16 years he writes the book “Dialogue about two systems of the world - Ptolemaic and Copernican”, while at the same time openly engaged in another type of activity - research in the field of mechanics.

And in 1630, Galileo’s main work was completed. To get it published, the author had to wait several years and resort to a trick, writing in the preface that the book was about exposing Copernicanism. It is written in the form of a dialogue between an ardent supporter of the Copernican theory, a neutral scientist and a follower of Ptolemy. It provides undeniable evidence that the Earth is not the center of the world and revolves around the Sun.

By that time, Galileo had practically no supporters left in Rome. Moreover, in 1623 he attracted the attention of the Jesuits and came into conflict with them. This played a decisive role in his future fate. Just two months after its release, the entire circulation of the book was withdrawn from sale, and a denunciation was written against Galileo to the Inquisition. Plus, the Pope became very angry with the scientist, recognizing himself in one of the heroes. Although before ascending the Holy See, he was among the friends and supporters of Galileo.

In February 1633 the scientist was summoned to Rome and taken into custody. The trial of heresy began. The process did not take long - only 18 days. He was threatened with the fate of Giordano Bruno, and in order to avoid the fire, Galileo, in the presence of the Pope and the cardinals, openly renounced his teaching according to the text provided to him. There is no direct evidence in history that this confession was forced under torture. Only indirect references to this were found in the letters.

The chosen punishment for Galileo was imprisonment. But given his advanced age and illness, it was replaced by lifelong residence in his homeland, in a villa near the city of Arcetri, without the right to leave the house or visit friends.

The place for a prisoner to live was chosen for a reason. The villa was located not far from the monastery where Galileo’s two daughters went. This was a necessary measure, since for those born in an unmarried union, according to the laws of that time, there was no other choice. The eldest and beloved daughter did not leave her sick father until her death in 1634.

Despite such cruel conditions of detention and constant surveillance by the Inquisition, Galileo did not leave scientific activity . In addition, in the last years of his life he was practically blind and continued to work with the support of his students. In 1638, his work “Conversations and Mathematical Proofs of the Two Systems of the World” was published in Holland, which laid the foundations of kinematics and resistance of materials. It was this work that was later taken as a basis by Newton.

Death occurred on January 8, 1642. The funeral took place in the same villa where Galileo lived. The pope did not give his permission to bury his remains in the family crypt, as the inventor himself wanted. Only in 1737 was he solemnly reburied in the Basilica of Santa Croce, next to Michelangelo’s tomb. A few decades later, Pope Benedict 14 issued a decree removing Galileo's works from the list of prohibited works. The complete rehabilitation of his name in the eyes of the Catholic Church took place in 1992 by order of Pope John Paul II.

Other achievements of Galileo

• He brought the practical method, rather than the theoretical one, to the forefront in research.
• He became the founder of experimental mechanics and the principle of relativity.
• He substantiated the laws of falling and the movement of thrown objects along a parabola.
• Invented hydrostatic balances, thermometer, telescope, compass and microscope.
• Introduced the concept new science about the resistance of materials.

Myths about Galilee

The life of the greatest scientist of all time overgrown with various legends and myths, which were not confirmed in historical chronicles.

Galileo Galilei short biography Italian physicist, mechanic, astronomer, philosopher is presented in this article.

Galileo Galilei biography briefly

Born on February 15, 1564 in the Italian city of Pisa in the family of a well-born but impoverished nobleman. From the age of 11 he was brought up in the Vallombrosa monastery. At the age of 17 he left the monastery and entered the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pisa. He became a university professor and later headed the department of mathematics at the University of Padua, where over the course of 18 years he created a series of outstanding works on mathematics and mechanics.

He soon became the most famous lecturer at the university, and students lined up to attend his classes. It was at this time that he wrote the treatise “Mechanics”.

Galileo described his first discoveries with a telescope in his work “The Starry Messenger”. The book was a sensational success. He built a telescope that magnifies objects three times, placed it on the tower of San Marco in Venice, allowing everyone to look at the Moon and stars.

Following this, he invented a telescope that increased its power 11 times compared to the first. He described his observations in the work “Starry Messenger”.

In 1637, the scientist lost his sight. Until this time he had been hard at work on his latest book, Discourses and Mathematical Proofs Concerning Two New Branches of Science Relating to Mechanics and Local Motion. In this work he summarized all his observations and achievements in the field of mechanics.

Galileo's teaching about the structure of the world contradicted the Holy Scriptures, and the scientist was persecuted by the Inquisition for a long time. I promote the theories of Copernicus, he fell out of favor with the Catholic Church forever. He was captured by the Inquisition and, under threat of death at the stake, renounced his views. He was forever prohibited from writing or distributing his work in any way.