You are looking at the first chapter of the
book Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel. Read this letter written to Galileo
by his eldest daughter Suor Marie Celeste, a nun in the convent of San Matteo in the small
town of Arcetri. She was supportive of her father throughout his trials with the
Church concerning his belief that the planets revolved around the sun.
Notice the tone of the letter.
1. How would you describe the tone?
2. What reasons would you give for such a tone?
3. In what way does it differ from a modern letter written by a daughter to her
father?
Read the rest of the chapter and answer the
following questions:
1. Note that Virginia chose the name "Maria Celeste"
when she took vows as a nun. Look up the word "Celeste" or
"celestial." What does it mean? How is it appropriate that Virginia
chose that as her religious name?
2. What conclusions can you make about the place of women in this society when you read that Galileo's son Vincenzo was legitimized and became and lawyer, while the daughters entered a convent?
3. Who is Martin Luther?
4. a) Why does Dava Sobel call the story of the relationship between father and daughter a love story? b) a tragedy? c) a mystery?
5. a) Why is it believable that Suer Maria Celeste's mother abbess destroyed the letters? b) What does that tell you about the climate of the times?
6. According to Dava Sobel, how do these letters from daughter to father help dispel the myth that Galileo was a renegade who did not believe in the teachings of the Church?