Galileo Galilei

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

1. Galileo, then 70 years old, had to swear before the cardinals of the Inquisition, kneeling and with his hand on the Gospel, to curse the doctrine of the motion of the earth. He also had to undertake to denounce to the Holy Office any heretic or person suspected of heresy whom he knew.
   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Abiura, Rom, 22. Juni 1633

   „dell'età mia d'anni 70, constituto personalmente in giudizio, et inginocchiato avanti di voi“

   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Abiura, Rom, 22. Juni 1633

   „con cuor sincero e fede non finta abiuro, maledico e detesto li sudetti errori et heresie“

   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Abiura, Rom, 22. Juni 1633

   „ma se conoscerò alcun heretico o che sia sospetto d’heresia, lo denontiarò a questo S. Offitio“

How were they charged and sentenced?

1. His Dialogue appeared in 1632, after which he was summoned before the Inquisition again. The second trial took place in 1633.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 6 (1909), Abschnitt zum Dialog

   „This was published in 1632“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 6 (1909), Abschnitt zum Dialog

   „He was therefore again cited before the Inquisition“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 6 (1909), Abschnitt zur Bewertung

   „As to the second trial in 1633“

2. On 21 June 1633 he was interrogated under threat of torture. According to the Britannica, the threat was not carried out and, according to the records, was not intended to be.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt 1633

   „On the 21st of June he was finally examined under menace of torture“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt 1633

   „not only that the threat of torture was not carried into execution, but that it was never intended that it should be“

3. On 22 June 1633 he had to abjure in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and received his sentence. He was then 70 years old.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt 1633

   „On the 22nd of June, in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Galileo read his recantation, and received his sentence“

   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Urteil, Einleitung

   „Fiorentino, dell’età tua d’anni 70“

4. The sentence declared him vehemently suspected of heresy, banned his book, sentenced him to imprisonment at the tribunal's discretion and to three years of weekly penitential psalms. Seven cardinals signed; the usual confirmation by the pope was missing.
   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Urteil, Spruch

   „vehementemente sospetto d’heresia, cioè d’haver tenuto e creduto dottrina falsa e contraria alle Sacre e divine Scritture“

   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Urteil, Spruch

   „ordiniamo che per publico editto sia prohibito il libro de’ Dialoghi di Galileo Galilei“

   Evidence: Römische Inquisition (Heiliges Offizium); Wikisource (italienisch), Urteil, Spruch

   „Ti condaniamo al carcere formale“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt 1633

   „This sentence was signed by seven cardinals, but did not receive the customary papal ratification“

What happened to those affected?

1. He remained under the sentence of imprisonment until his death in 1642. The Catholic Encyclopedia stresses that he spent only 22 days in buildings of the Inquisition; afterwards he lived with friends and finally in strict seclusion in his villa in Arcetri.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 6 (1909), Abschnitt 1633

   „Under the sentence of imprisonment Galileo remained till his death in 1642“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 6 (1909), Abschnitt 1633

   „Galileo spent altogether twenty-two days in the buildings of the Holy Office“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt nach dem Prozess

   „the remaining eight years of his life were spent in his villa at Arcetri called “Il Giojello,” in the strict seclusion which was the prescribed condition of his comparative freedom“

2. From 1637/38 he was completely blind.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt nach dem Prozess

   „his eyes were for ever closed in hopeless blindness“

Witness accounts and records