PalenQ

in Florence' Galileo Natural History Museum - evocative of the way the Catholic Church so honors Saints with such public displays of grisly relics. Indeed that irony is not lost on museum officials who consider Galileo a Saint in his own way - after being convicted as a heretic in 1633 'for upending the biblical view of the universe.'

Anyway an interesting article on the museum, just reopened after a thorough renovation and renamed in Galileo's honor.

So if looking for something a bit different in Florence check out the Natural History Museum.

PalenQ

Florence Journal - Museum's Display of Remains Reflects Latest ...
Jul 22, 2010 ... A Museum Display of Galileo Has a Saintly Feel ... and renamed to honor Galileo: Modern-day supporters of the famous heretic are exhibiting ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/wo...23galileo.html

Museum's Display of Remains Reflects Latest Chapter in Galileo's ...
Jul 22, 2010 ... Florence's history of science museum, renamed to honor Galileo, ... to honor Galileo: Modern-day supporters of the famous heretic are ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/wo...3galileo.html?...

PalenQ

Museum of Zoology and Natural History "La Specola" ... an art introduced in Florence by Ludovico Cigoli (1559-1613), which enjoyed ... The interior of the museum also houses a very special area: the so-called Ttibune of Galileo designed ...
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/......l_history.html

paris1953

Very interesting! That link didn't work, but I found it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/wo...allileo&st=cse

PalenQ

paris - thanks for the working link!

charnees

Yes, I saw that article about the relics and thought it was downright weird that they were displaying them like relics. But I suppose the "secular saint" notion is why.