Introduction: vita brevis, ars longa

In the life of a museum housing Italy’s oldest public collection of scientific instruments and occupying a building nearly nine centuries old in the heart of Florence, 80 years may seem insignificant. However, the events and circumstances of these years have brought changes in the arrangement and display of its unique collections. The inauguration of this new exhibition thus provides the occasion for tracing the history of the institution while celebrating its eightieth birthday.

The vitality of the museum is clearly indicated by the numerous names it has taken at the different stages of its existence. In 1924 it was called the Istituto Nazionale di Storia della Scienza; in 1925-27, the Istituto di Storia delle Scienze; in 1929, the Istituto e Museo di Storia delle Scienze; in 1930, the Museo Nazionale di Storia delle Scienze; in the 1930s, the Istituto e Museo di Storia delle Scienze; in 1945, the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, and lastly, in 2010, the Museo Galileo: Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza.

Each of these names bears tangible signs of the efforts exerted to keep the museum’s exhibition facilities updated and accessible. Over the years, the fruitful balance between the Institute and the Museum, between research and the conservation of a scientific heritage, has created a model almost unique among Italy’s museums.

This virtual exhibition is a brief biography in images, recalling the main stages of the institution’s history. The iconographic material is accompanied by articles, books and catalogues collected and published in electronic format, to document the showcasing and conservation of a historic scientific heritage of the utmost importance.