The Galilei Family Library in 1649

Abstract

This chapter describes the first phase of dispersal of Galileo’s library after his death in 1642. Using the findings from the previous chapters and contextualization among later correspondence, the author challenges some of the longstanding assumptions about the household inventory made at the death of Galileo’s son Vincenzio Galilei, Jr. (1649). A reexamination of that inventory brings to light details about the family and the early role of Vincenzo Viviani in caring for Galileo’s descendants. Data creation and visualization offer new information about the process of creating the first list of books in the Galilei home, a document designed for both accountability and obfuscation.