The tomb of Galileo Galilei in the church of Santa Croce in Florence.
Who is sharing his grave?

In the church of Santa Croce are buried many famous Italians. Today I want to talk about the interesting story of Galileo Galilei’s tomb.

Galileo is the father of modern science, because he was the first that methodically observed  (and so measured) nature so to derive its laws. Unfortunately for him, Galileo began to observe the sky and understood that what Copernicus said was not a mere theory but the real truth.
The church of Rome, however, did not think in the same way. Many passages of the Bible state that it is the sun moving and not the Earth. So the new book by Galileo: “The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems " has to be condemned.

Galileo was so summoned by the Court of the Holy Inquisition and  after a very long trial sentenced guilty.

The point is that Galileo did not give up his claims.
In his defense, he simply said that his book was only a discussion on two possible theories of world’s systems: the one of Ptolemy and the one of Copernicus. According to him this doid not contravene the Holy Scriptures and he felt, deep in his heart, to be a good Catholic.

But all this was not enough. After having been taken to prison, he was able to obtain house arrest in his home in Arcetri where he will die without having had the consolation to see one last time his very much-loved daughter (cloistered nun), Suor Maria Celeste.

When Galileo died, the Pope of the time, Urban VIII Barberini, did not think it to be a good idea to dedicate a major monumental tomb in Santa Croce, among the very important people, to somebody that had been condemned by the Holy Inquisition and who was still expiating the sentence when he died.

So the friars of Santa Croce thought it best to bury Galileo in the Chapel of the Novitiate in a much more hidden part of the church.

It was only in 1992 that Galileo was officially rehabilitated by Pope JohnPaul II, but we can say that during 18th century Galileo had already been unofficially rehabilitated.
Indeed in 1737 his body was translated inside the church in the place where it is now and so it was discovered that Galileo was not alone.

When the coffin was opened, (unfortunatelly!) a finger was cut from Galileo’s corpse (now preserved in the museum dedicated to him), two more bodies were found.
The first body is that of his most faithful pupil and editor of all his works: Vincenzo Viviani (and this was well known). The second one is the body of a young woman. There are no documents relating to this burial, but everything suggests that Viviani in secret and surely moved by great devotion and love for his master, decided to give him a last very important gift:  resting forever next to his beloved daughter, Suor Maria Celeste .

One last thing: the tomb of Galileo faces that of Michelangelo. Not a chance.
Galileo was in fact born in Pisa on February 15, 1564 just when in Rome (February 18) Michelangelo was diyng.
It seems like a handover and it's nice to see them face to face.