Letters to Father: Sister Maria Celeste to Galileo

“He has a son and he has two daughters. Virginia Galilei—with whom he has this correspondence—is the oldest daughter and perhaps the child who seems to be closest to his heart and most interested in what he does. They have a very loving relationship and we’re very fortunate that this half of the correspondence, her letters to him, have survived…We see a Galileo whose daughter loves him and worries about him, and who increasingly becomes aware of the problems that he’s facing, probably in ways that she hasn’t had to be until the trial occurs. We really get to know Galileo as a father.” Read more...

The best books on Galileo Galilei

Paula Findlen, Historian