Museum of the History of Science

Along the bank of the Arno is the '300 Castellani palace, the name of which is after the last owners, which houses the Institute and the Museum of the History of Science since 1929. The medieval building, restored during the 19th, was seat of the Giudici di Rota from 1574 to the end of the Grand Duchy in mid '800.
The museum houses scientific instruments from the antique collections of the Medicean and Lorraine families, proof of the interest of the florentine Grand-dukes in both the scientific and artistic activities. Cosimo I and Francesco de' Medici in the 16th, Ferdinando II and cardinal Leopoldo in the 17th, and later in the 18th under the Lorena's rule, Francesco and Pietro Leopoldo who promote in 1775 the Museum of Physics and Natural History and continue increasing the collection.
On display are various scientific apparata representing the development of science from the Renaissance to the present times. Among which such relics as the instruments used by Galileo in the experimental validation of the Copernicus' Theory (16th), lens and astronomical telescope, devices for geometrical and arithmetical calculation, planetary systems, as well as those used in the experiments carried out by the Accademia del Cimento (17th), but also scientific devices from 18th-19th.

The Institute of the History of Science, housed in the same building of the museum, is an active intitution which carries out research in the field of the history of science.

Institute and Museum of the History of Science - Florence

History of Science Museum

address of the museum:
Museo di Storia della Scienze
Piazza Giudici 1 - Florence
Tel. +39 055 273493