Jou nal o Social Sciences Vol. VIII, no. 1 (2025), pp. 169 - 179
Fascicle Social Science ISSN 2587-3490
Topic His o y eISSN 2587-3504
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
h ps://doi.o g/10.52326/jss.u m.2025.8(1).12
UDC 94:52:34
THE TRIAL OF GALILEO GALILEI BY THE ROMAN INQUISITION:
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW
Lino Bianco *, ORCID: 0000-0001-8779-2351
Uni e si y o Mal a, MSD 2080 Msida, Mal a
* Co esponding au ho : Lino Bianco, [email protected]
Recei ed: 02. 12. 2025
Accep ed: 03. 18. 2025
Abs ac . One o he mos amous ials in wo ld his o y is ha o he Flo en ine scien is
Galileo Galilei in on o he Roman Inquisi ion. Based on his o ical sou ces, his a icle
p esen s a comp ehensi e o e iew o he 1633 ial, he oo s o which da ed o Galileo’s
1613 publica ion on sunspo s. I culmina ed wi h his publica ion o he Dialogue conce ning
he wo chie wo ld sys ems, P olemaic and Cope nican. Al hough condemned by he Inquisi ion
o imp isonmen o an inde ini e pe iod, his sen ence was commu ed o house a es un il
dea h.
Keywo ds: Galileo Galilei, 1633 ial, Cope nicus, Bella mino, Bella mine, Maculani, Roman
Inquisi ion, heliocen ism.
Rezuma . Unul din e cele mai cunoscu e p ocese din is o ia lumii es e cel al sa an ului
lo en in Galileo Galilei în ața Inchiziției omane. Baza pe su se is o ice, aces a icol
p ezin ă o p ezen a e cup inză oa e a p ocesului din 1633, ale că ui ădăcini da ează de la
publicația lui Galileo din 1613 desp e pe ele sola e. Punc ul culminan a os publica ea lui
in i ula ă Dialog p i ind cele două sis eme p incipale ale lumii, P olema ic și Cope nican. În ciuda
ap ului că Inchiziția l-a condamna la închisoa e pe pe ioadă nede e mina ă, pedeapsa a os
comu a ă în a es la domiciliu până la moa ea lui.
Cu in e cheie: Galileo Galilei, p ocesul 1633, Cope nic, Bella mino, Bella min, Maculani, Inchiziția
omană, heliocen ism.
1. In oduc ion
Hos ed by he Uni e si y o Missou i–Kansas Ci y, he Famous T ials websi e, se up
in 1995 by Douglas Linde , co e s o e 50 amous ials in wo ld his o y. One o hem is he
ail o Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), who was aised in Flo ence a e his amily mo ed om
Pisa when he was young – wi h espec o which Linde includes a ch onology [1]. He aces
he beginning o he s o y o he Polish polyma h Nicolaus Cope nicus (1473–1543), who pu
o wa d he i s model o a heliocen ic sys em o he uni e se in 1514, hal a cen u y p io
o Galileo’s bi h. This p oposed sys em an con a y o he P olemaic model whe eby he sun
o bi s he s a iona y ea h. Linde also e e s o he Danish as onome Tycho B ahe (1546–
1601) who p oposed a comp omise be ween he Cope nican and P olemaic models: he ea h
as he s a iona y cen e o he uni e se wi h he sun and moon o bi ing i . B ahe’s model
included o he plane s o bi ing he sun.
By 1597, Galileo ully emb aced he Cope nican model o he uni e se. He w o e o
he Ge man as onome Johannes Keple (1571–1630) ha “Like you, I accep ed he
170 L. Bianco
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Cope nican posi ion se e al yea s ago and disco e ed om hence he causes o many na u al
e ec s which a e doub less inexplicable by he cu en heo ies” [2, p. 11]. Th ee yea s la e ,
he I alian hinke Gio dano B uno (1548–1600) was con ic ed o he esy – including his
cosmological heo ies which concep ually ex ended o he Cope nican model – by he Holy
O ice and bu ned a he s ake in Campo de’ Fio i, Rome. In 1610, Galileo buil a ×30 elescope
which he used o as onomical obse a ions, including o moons e ol ing a ound Jupi e ,
hus con i ming he e aci y o he Cope nican model. He imp o ed on he design – his own
e sion o he Du ch Pe spec i e Glass – c edi ed o ei he Hans Lippe shey (c. 1570–1619)
o Zacha ias Janssen (1585–p e-1632), bo h Du ch mas e lens g inde s and spec acle make s
who expe imen ed wi h lenses o iew dis an objec s. A yea la e , Keple explained how a
con ex objec i e lens and a con ex eyepiece lens could be used o c ea e a much mo e
e ec i e elescope. In 1611, Galileo obse ed sunspo s. In Ap il o he same yea , Jesui
Ca dinal Robe o Bella mino (1542–1621) (o Ca dinal Robe Bella mine i in English) – a
o me ec o o he Collegium Romanum which was es ablished in 1551 by S Igna ius o
Loyola (1491–1556), 11 yea s a e he ounded he Socie y o Jesus (Jesui s) – asked Jesui
ma hema icians o con i m o disp o e Galileo’s indings. They eplica ed Galileo’s
obse a ion bu did no con e ge wi h his in e p e a ion.
2. Ma e ials and me hod
The objec i e o his a icle is o impa a concise, comp ehensi e o e iew o he ial
o Galileo Galilei by he Roman Inquisi ion. I concludes by ou lining he Inquisi ion’s
judgmen and execu ion o he sen ence; he o me is ep oduced in ull as an Annex.
Signi ican o all publica ions o da e is I documen i del p ocesso di Galileo Galilei, published
by he Pon i ical Academy o Sciences in 1984 [3]. Use has been made o Ka l on Geble ’s
(1850–1878) e ised e sion o Galileo’s ial based on p ima y sou ces [4]. The accoun o
his ial is gi en in se e al books, no ably de San illana [2] and, mo e concisely, D ake [5].
Applying he classi ica ion p oposed by Hen y Ansga Kelly [6], Linde [1] asc ibed
h ee phases o Galileo’s b ush wi h he Holy O ice: (i) non- ial (1616); (ii) p e- ial (1632–
1633); and (iii) ial (10 May 1633).
3. Galileo and he Roman Inquisi ion
One can ace he non- ail phase o 1613, he yea Galileo published his wo k on
sunspo s [7] which suppo ed he heo y ha he sun o a es on an axis. The ch onology gi en
by Linde which add ess his phase is gi en in Table 1.
Table 1
Ch onology: non- ial phase (A e [1])
Da e
E en
No embe 1613
Lo ini launches he i s a ack om he cle gy on he Cope nican
heo y.
21 Decembe 1613
Galileo w i es a le e o Cas elli submi ing his ideas conce ning he
ela ionship o science and Sc ip u e.
Feb ua y 1615
Lo ini iles a complain wi h he Roman Inquisi ion agains Galileo’s
Cope nican iews. I includes a copy o Galileo’s 1613 le e o
Cas elli.
Ap il 1615
Bella mino cau ions scien is s o ea Cope nican iews as
hypo hesis, no ac .
Decembe 1615
Galileo a els o Rome o de end his posi ion.
The ial o Galileo Galilei by he oman inquisi ion: a comp ehensi e o e iew 171
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Con inua ion Table 1
Janua y 1616
Galileo a gues he case o idal heo y, whe eby idal mo ion is
p oo ha he ea h is no s a iona y.
Feb ua y 1616
A commi ee o ad iso s o he Inquisi ion decla es ha heliocen ic
heo y is absu d and o mally he e ical.
26 Feb ua y 1616 Bella mino wa ns Galileo no o hold, each o de end Cope nican
heo y.
5 Ma ch 1616 The Cong ega ion o he Index bans Cope nicus’s wo k un il
co ec ed.
The Dominican ia Niccolo Lo ini (1544–1617), a p o esso o ecclesias ical his o y
a he Uni e si y o Flo ence, denounced Galileo’s Cope nican iews. He was he i s membe
o he cle gy o publicly disag ee wi h Cope nican heo y in No embe 1613. On 21 Decembe
1613, Galileo w o e o he Benedic ine ia Benede o Cas elli (1578–1643), a p o esso o
ma hema ics a he Uni e si y o Pisa, p esen ing his iews ega ding he ela ionship
be ween science and sc ip u e. In Feb ua y 1615, Lo ini iled a o mal complain wi h he
Roman Inquisi ion agains Galileo’s Cope nican iews and a ached a copy o Galileo’s le e
o Cas elli. In Ap il 1615, he Ca dinal Bella mino, a leading igu e in he Coun e -
Re o ma ion, cau ioned scien is s on behal o he Holy O ice o ea Cope nican iews as a
hypo hesis, no as ac . By his own will, Galileo a elled o Rome in Decembe 1615 o de end
his posi ion.
In Janua y 1616, he a gued ha idal mo ion was p oduced solely by he ea h’s
mo ion, ha is, ha he ea h is no s a iona y. Following he s a emen o posi ion by he
commi ee o ad iso s o he Inquisi ion – which, in Feb ua y 1616, decla ed ha he
heliocen ic iew o he uni e se was absu d and o mally he e ical – Bella mino admonished
Galileo on 26 Feb ua y 1616 no o hold, each, de end o discuss Cope nican heo y o ally o
in w i ing, o which Galileo ag eed. On 5 Ma ch, he Cong ega ion o he Index banned
Cope nicus’s De e olu ionibus o bium coeles ium (On he e olu ion o celes ial sphe es) [8]
un il co ec ions we e made.
Soon a e , Galileo me wi h Pope Paul V (1550–1621), who assu ed Galileo ha he
was sa e om pe secu ion as he was held in high es eem. In collabo a ion wi h Ma io Guiducci
(1583–1646), Galileo published he Disco so delle come e (Discou se on he come s) in 1619
[9], mon hs a e h ee come s appea ed, p omp ing widesp ead in e es in hei na u e. In
1623, Galileo published Il Saggia o e (The Assaye ) [10], which he dedica ed o Ca dinal
Ma eo Ba be ini (1568–1644) who had jus been elec ed he new pon i , and “who was
much mo e a ou ably disposed owa d in ellec uals and hei wo k han his p edecesso
[Pope G ego y XV (1554–1623)] had been” [11: 466]. In 1624, Galileo had six audiences wi h
U ban VIII ( he o me Ca dinal Ma eo Ba be ini) and me o he in luen ial ca dinals. The
Pope di ec ed Galileo o discuss and ea Cope nican heo y only as a ma hema ical
hypo hesis. By Ap il 1630, Galileo comple ed his Dialogo sop a i due massimi sis emi del mondo,
Tolemaico e Cope nicano (Dialogue conce ning he wo chie wo ld sys ems, P olemaic and
Cope nican), he ea e e e ed o as he Dialogue [12]; wo mon hs ea lie , U ban VIII
bes owed Galileo wi h an annual pension o 40 scudi. Figu e 1 (le ) shows he on ispiece
o he Dialogue by S e an Della Bella (1610–1664) while Figu e 1 ( igh ) is he i le page o
he wo k. By June 1630, Galileo had ob ained condi ional app o al om he Sec e a y o he
Va ican o i s publica ion [1].
172 L. Bianco
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Figu e 1. Dialogue: F on ispiece by S e an Della Bella (1610–1664) (le ); i le page ( igh )
[13] (online e sion is in colou ).
Linde ’s ch onology o he p e- ial phase is gi en in Table 2. The commencemen o
his phase can be a ibu ed o he p in ing o he Dialogue in Feb ua y 1632. By summe o
he same yea , i s dis ibu ion was hal ed and U ban VIII se up a special commission o
examine he publica ion. Based on he commission’s eedback, he pon i e e ed Galileo’s
case o he Roman Inquisi ion and a summons was issued. On ecei ing i in Oc obe 1632,
Galileo eques ed he ial be held in Flo ence; he eques was no upheld by he Inquisi ion,
which was p esided o e by U ban VIII, in No embe 1632. The ollowing mon h he submi ed
a s a emen by h ee physicians ha he was no i o a el o Rome. The Inquisi ion ejec ed
his s a emen and decla ed ha i Galileo did no a el o Rome olun a ily, he would be
“b ough a p isone in i ons o Rome” [4, p. 186].
Galileo a i ed in Rome on 13 Feb ua y 1633 and was accommoda ed a he esidence
o he Tuscan ambassado . He was in oduced o Ca dinal F ancesco Ba be ini (1597–1679),
a nephew o U ban VIII. The Ca dinal “ga e him [Galileo] a iendly hin … ha he had be e
keep e y e i ed in he ambassado ’s house, no ecei e anyone, no be seen ou o doo s”
([4, p. 192], acco ding o dispa ches om Niccolini o Cioli o 16 and 19 Feb ua y 1633).
Table 2
Ch onology: p e- ial phase (A e [1])
Da e
E en
Feb ua y 1632
Dialogue conce ning he wo chie wo ld sys ems is p in ed.
Summe 1632
The dis ibu ion o he Dialogue is hal ed by U ban VIII, who empowe s
a special commission o examine he book.
Sep embe 1632
Based on he epo o he special commission, he Pope e e s
Galileo’s case o he Roman Inquisi ion.
The ial o Galileo Galilei by he oman inquisi ion: a comp ehensi e o e iew 173
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Con inua ion Table 2
Oc obe 1632
Galileo ecei es a summons o appea be o e he Inquisi ion; he
eques s he ial be held in Flo ence.
No embe 1632
Galileo’s eques is u ned down.
Decembe 1632
Th ee physicians decla e ha Galileo is no i o a el. The
Inquisi ion ejec s his decla a ion and asse s ha i he does no
a el o Rome olun a ily he will be a es ed and b ough in chains.
13 Feb ua y 1633
Galileo a i es in Rome. He
is allowed o s ay a he home o he
Tuscan ambassado and is ad ised o s ay indoo s and no o mee
anybody.
4. The ail o Galileo
On 12 and 30 Ap il 1633, Galileo was in e oga ed by he Roman Inquisi ion, by he
Dominican Vincenzo Maculani da Fi enzuola (1578–1667), and o mally cha ged on 10 May
[6]. He was kep o wo weeks in he building o he Inquisi ion. I is ue ha he was
es ic ed o a con ined place, and hus his con inemen is e e ed o by Linde as
imp isonmen [1], bu Galileo was placed in a com o able apa men in he Holy O ice
iscal's p i a e esidence, a layou ske ch o which was ep oduced by Geble [4, p. 209]. This
accommoda ion was a om a p ison. A e he i s session, Fi enzuola’s s a egy was o
induce Galileo “ o en e a guil y plea judicially” [4: 213] in exchange o a lenien sen ence.
Du ing he second session, Galileo decla ed ha he o e s a ed he case in he p e ious
session. Figu e 2 shows an 1857 pain ing by C is iano Ban i (1824–1904) which depic s
Galileo du ing a session wi h Fi enzuola, who is s anding a he able. The ial was hen held.
Figu e 2.
Ban i, Galileo acing he Roman Inquisi ion [14] (online e sion is in colou ).
174 L. Bianco
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Figu e 3, a pain ing o 1847 by Joseph-Nicolas Robe -Fleu y (1797–1890), po ays
Galileo be o e he Holy O ice.
On 22 June 1633, Galileo was sen enced o li e imp isonmen , which was la e
commu ed o house a es . Se en ou o he en ca dinal-inquisi o s p esiding a his ial
signed he sen ence (Table 3); Ca dinal Ba be ini did no sign i . Galileo signed a o mal
ecan a ion and was kep unde house a es a he esidence o a o me disciple and iend,
he A chbishop o Siena.
Figu e 3. Robe -Fleu y, Galileo be o e he Holy O ice [15] (online e sion is in colou ).
Table 3
Judges a he ial o Galileo
Name as s a ed in he sen ence
1
Signa u e
2
Gaspa o del i olo di S. C oce in Gie usalemme Bo gia
F a Felice Cen ino del i olo di S. Anas asia, de o
d’Ascoli
F. Ca dinalis de Asculo
Guido del i olo di S. Ma ia del Popolo Ben i oglio
G. Ca dinalis Ben iuolus
F a Deside io Scaglia del i olo di S. Ca lo de o di
C emona
F . Ca dinalis de C emona
F a An onio Ba be ino de o di S. Ono io
F . An onious Ca dinalis S.
Honuph ij
Laudi io Zacchia del i olo di S. Pie o in Vincola de o
di S. Sis o
Be linge o del i olo di S. Agos ino, Gessi
B. Ca dinalis Gypsius
Fab icio del i olo di S. Lo enzo in pane e pe na, Ve ospi
F . Ca dinalis Ve ospius
F ancesco di S. Lo enzo in Damaso Ba be ino
Ma io di S. Ma ia Nuo a Gine i Diaconi
M. Ca dinalis Gine us
1 Based on [4, p. 230]; 2 based on [4, p. 234].
The ial o Galileo Galilei by he oman inquisi ion: a comp ehensi e o e iew 175
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
In i s sen ence, he Inquisi ion no ed ha Galileo [4, p. 231]:
1. “denounced o his Holy O ice o holding as ue he alse doc ine [o a
heliocen ic sys em o he uni e se] augh by many”;
2. had “disciples o whom you augh he same doc ine”;
3. held “co espondence wi h ce ain ma hema icians o Ge many conce ning he
same”;
4. p in ed “ce ain le e s, en i led ‘On he Sola Spo s’, whe ein you de eloped he
same doc ine as ue”; and
5. eplied “ o he objec ions om he Holy Sc ip u es … by glossing he said Sc ip u es
acco ding o you own meaning: and whe eas he e was he eupon p oduced he
copy o a documen in he o m o a le e , pu po ing o be w i en by you o one
o me ly you disciple, and in his di e s p oposi ions a e se o h, ollowing he
hypo hesis o Cope nicus, which a e con a y o he ue sense and au ho i y o
Holy Sc ip u e”.
In 1616, Galileo ag eed o comply wi h he o de o abandon “he said alse opinion,
and no in u u e o de end o each i in any way wha soe e , nei he e bally no in w i ing”
[4, p. 231]. The Dialogue enewed he doc ine which he ecan ed. Based on Galileo’s
con ession, he Roman Inquisi ion ound him “ ehemen ly suspec ed o he esy, namely o
ha ing belie ed and held he doc ine – which is alse and con a y o he sac ed and di ine
Sc ip u es” [4, p. 233]. Based on hese and on Galileo’s p onouncemen ha Cope nican
doc ine was e oneous and he e ical, he Holy O ice placed him unde house a es un il his
dea h and eques ed him “ o h ee yea s o come you epea once a week he se en
peni en ial Psalms” [4, p. 234].
5. Final commen s
Galileo consen ed in 1616 o abide by he o de o he Roman Inquisi ion o gi e up
his belie in a heliocen ic sys em o he uni e se and o ne e again suppo o p opaga e i ,
ei he o ally o in w i ing. The doc ine he enounced was e i ed in he Dialogue. The Roman
Inquisi ion decided in June 1633 ha he s ongly suspec ed o he esy, speci ically o belie ing
and holding his belie which con lic s wi h he Sc ip u es. In Decembe 1633, he was
pe mi ed o e u n o his home in A ce i, Flo ence, whe e he li ed unde house a es un il
his demise on 8 Janua y 1642. He con inued his w i ing and me isi o s a his esidence,
including John Mil on (1608–1674). His signi ican publica ion, Disco si e dimos azioni
ma ema iche in o no a due nuo e scienze (Discou ses and ma hema ical demons a ions
ela ing o wo new science) [16], was published in 1638.
Acknowledgmen s. The au ho would like o hank P o esso Ke in Aquilina, o me Dean o
he Facul y o Laws (Uni e si y o Mal a), o his aluable commen s and sugges ions on an
ea lie d a o his pape .
Re e ences
1. Linde , D.O. The T ial o Galileo: A ch onology. In: Famous T ial. A ailable online: h ps://www. amous-
ials.com/galileo ial/1015-ch onology (accessed on 10 Janua y 2025).
2. de San illana, G. The C ime o Galileo. Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, Chicago, USA, 1962, pp. 117-281.
3. Pagano, S.M., Luciani, A.G. I documen i del p ocesso di Galileo Galilei. Rome: Pon i ical Academy o Sciences,
1984, pp. 63-248.
4. on Geble , K. Galileo Galilei and he Roman Cu ia. T ans. and edi ed by Jane S u ge. London: Kegan Paul,
1879, pp. 175-248.
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5. D ake, S. Galileo. New Yo k: Hill and Wang, 1980, pp. 73-79.
6. Kelly, H. A. Galileo’s Non-T ial (1616), P e-T ial (1632–1633), and T ial (May 10, 1633): A Re iew o
P ocedu e, Fea u ing Rou ine Viola ions o he Fo um o Conscience. Chu ch His o y 2017, 85(4), pp. 724-
761. h ps://doi.o g/10.1017/S0009640716001190
7. Galilei, G. Is o ia e Dimos azioni in o no alle Macchie Sola i. Rome: Accademia dei Lincei, 1613.
8. Nicolaus Cope nicus, De e olu ionibus o bium coeles ium. Nu embe g: Johannes Pe eius, 1543.
9. Galilei and M. Guiducci, Disco so delle come e. Pie o Cecconcelli, Flo ence, 1619.
10. Galileo, G. Il Saggia o e. Rome: Giacomo Masca di, 1623.
11. Ra ind a, R. Galileo Galilei. In: The Encyclopaedia o Religion. Edi o in Chie Mi cea Eliade. New Yo k:
Macmillan Publishing Co., 1987, 5, pp. 465-467.
12. Galileo, G. Dialogo sop a i due massimi sis emi del mondo, Tolemaico e Cope nicano. Flo ence: Gio anni Ba is a
Landini, 1632.
13. Landini, G.B. F on ispiece (by S e an Della Bella) and i le page o Galileo Galilei’s Dialogue Conce ning he
Two Chie Wo ld Sys ems, published by Gio anni Ba is a Landini in 1632 in Flo ence. 1632. [image].
A ailable online: h ps://upload.wikimedia.o g/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Galileos_Dialogue_Ti le_Page.png
(accessed on 10 Janua y 2025).
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h ps://commons.wikimedia.o g/wiki/File:Galileo_ acing_ he_Roman_Inquisi ion.jpg#mw-jump- o-license
(accessed on 10 Janua y 2025).
15. Robe -Fleu y, J.N. Galileo be o e he Holy O ice. 1847. [image]. A ailable online:
h ps://commons.wikimedia.o g/wiki/File:Galileo_be o e_ he_Holy_O ice_-_Joseph-Nicolas_Robe -
Fleu y,_1847.png (accessed on 10 Janua y 2025).
16. Galileo, G. Disco si e dimos azioni ma ema iche in o no a due nuo e scienze. Leiden: Lodewijk Elze i , 1638.
Annex:
Galileo Galilei’s Sen ence o he Roman Inquisi ion (Rep oduced om [4, pp. 230-234])
We,
Gaspa o del i olo di S. C oce in Gie usalemme Bo gia;
F a Felice Cen ino del i olo di S. Anas asia, de o d’Ascoli;
Guido del i olo di S. Ma ia del Popolo Ben i oglio;
F a Deside io Scaglia del i olo di S. Ca lo de o di C emona;
F a An onio Ba be ino de o di S. Ono io;
Laudi io Zacchia del i olo di S. Pie o in Vincola de o di S. Sis o;
Be linge o del i olo di S. Agos ino, Gessi;
Fab icio del i olo di S. Lo enzo in pane e pe na, Ve ospi, chiama o P e e;
F ancesco di S. Lo enzo in Damaso Ba be ino, e
Ma io di S. Ma ia Nuo a Gine i Diaconi;
by he g ace o God, ca dinals o he Holy Roman Chu ch, Inquisi o s Gene al, by he Holy
Apos olic see specially depu ed, agains he e ical dep a i y h oughou he whole Ch is ian
Republic.
Whe eas you, Galileo, son o he la e Vincenzo Galilei, Flo en ine, aged se en y yea s,
we e in he yea 1615 denounced o his Holy O ice o holding as ue he alse doc ine
augh by many, ha he sun is he cen e o he wo ld and immo able, and ha he ea h
mo es, and also wi h a diu nal mo ion; o ha ing disciples o whom you augh he same
doc ine; o holding co espondence wi h ce ain ma hema icians o Ge many conce ning
he same; o ha ing p in ed ce ain le e s, en i led “On he Sola Spo s”, whe ein you
de eloped he same doc ine as ue; and o eplying o he objec ions om he Holy
Sc ip u es, which om ime o ime we e u ged agains i , by glossing he said Sc ip u es
acco ding o you own meaning: and whe eas he e was he eupon p oduced he copy o a
The ial o Galileo Galilei by he oman inquisi ion: a comp ehensi e o e iew 177
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
documen in he o m o a le e , pu po ing o be w i en by you o one o me ly you disciple,
and in his di e s p oposi ions a e se o h, ollowing he hypo hesis o Cope nicus, which
a e con a y o he ue sense and au ho i y o Holy Sc ip u e:
This Holy T ibunal being he e o e desi ous o p oceeding agains he diso de and
mischie hence esul ing, which wen on inc easing o he p ejudice o he Holy Fai h, by
command o his Holiness and o he mos eminen Lo ds Ca dinals o his sup eme and
uni e sal Inquisi ion, he wo p oposi ions i he s abili y o he sun and he mo ion o he
ea h we e by he heological “Quali ie s” quali ied as ollows:
The p oposi ion ha he sun is he cen e o he wo ld and does no mo e om i s
place is absu d and alse philosophically and o mally he e ical, because i is exp essly
con a y o he Holy Sc ip u e.
The p oposi ion ha he ea h is no he cen e o he wo ld and immo able, bu ha
i mo es, and also wi h a diu nal mo ion, is equally absu d and alse philosophically, and
heologically conside ed, a leas e oneous in ai h.
Bu whe eas i was desi ed a ha ime o deal lenien ly wi h you, i was dec eed a
he Holy Cong ega ion held be o e his Holiness on he 25 h Feb ua y, 1616, ha his Eminence
he Lo d Ca dinal Bella mine should o de you o abandon al oge he he said alse doc ine,
and, in he e en o you e usal, ha an injunc ion should be imposed upon you by he
Commissa y o he Holy O ice, o gi e up he said doc ine, and no o each i o o he s, no
o de end i , no e en discuss i ; and ailing you acquiescence in his injunc ion, ha you
should be imp isoned. And in execu ion o his dec ee, on he ollowing day, a he Palace,
and in he p esence o his Eminence, he said Lo d Ca dinal Bella mine, a e being gen ly
admonished by he said Lo d Ca dinal, he command was in ima ed o you by he Fa he
Commissa y o he Holy O ice o he ime be o e a no a y and wi ness, ha you we e
al oge he o abandon he said alse opinion, and no in u u e o de end o each i in any
way wha soe e , nei he e bally no in w i ing; and upon you p omising o obey you we e
dismissed.
And in o de ha a doc ine so pe nicious migh be wholly oo ed ou and no insinua e
i sel u he o he g a e p ejudice o Ca holic u h, a dec ee was issued by he Holy
Cong ega ion o he Index, p ohibi ing he books which ea o his doc ine, and decla ing
he doc ine i sel o be alse and wholly con a y o sac ed and di ine Sc ip u e.
And whe eas a book appea ed he e ecen ly, p in ed las yea a Flo ence, he i le o
which shows ha you we e he au ho , his i le being: “Dialogue o Galileo Galilei on he
Two P incipal Sys ems o he Wo ld, he P olemaic and he Cope nican”; and whe eas he
Holy Cong ega ion was a e wa ds in o med ha h ough he publica ion o he said book,
he alse opinion o he mo ion o he ea h and he s abili y o he sun was daily gaining
g ound, he said book was aken in o ca e ul conside a ion and in i he e was disco e ed a
pa en iola ion o he a o esaid injunc ion ha had been imposed upon you, o in his book
you ha e de ended he said opinion p e iously condemned and o ou ace decla ed o be so,
al hough in he said book you s i e by a ious de ices o p oduce he imp ession ha you
lea e i undecided, and in exp ess e ms as p obable: which howe e is a mos g ie ous e o ,
as an opinion can in no wise be p obable which has been decla ed and de ined o be con a y
o Di ine Sc ip u e:
The e o e by ou o de you we e ci ed be o e his Holy O ice, whe e, being examined
upon you oa h, you acknowledged he book o be w i en and published by you. You
con essed ha you began o w i e he said book abou en o wel e yea s ago, a e he
