Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa (then part of the Duchy of Florence), Italy, on 15 February 1564, the first of six children of Vincenzo Galilei, a famous lutenist, composer, and music theorist, and Giulia (née Ammannati), who had married in 1562. Galileo became an accomplished lutenist himself and would have learned early from his father a scepticism for established authority, the value of well-measured or quantified experimentation, an appreciation for a periodic or musical measure of time or rhythm, as well as the results expected from a combination of mathematics and experiment. Three of Galileo's five siblings survived infancy. The youngest,
Galileo Galilei (opera) book, the fictitious characters come alive to discuss the theories presented. "Here, the Older Galileo becomes the Younger Galileo." "Incline Plane" The theories and experiments are put to the test in Galileo's laboratory. "A Walk in the Garden" Galileo and his great friend Cardinal Barberini discuss Galileo's newest book in the Garden. After the Cardinal's feeble attempt at poetry, Galileo expresses his fear of his enemies. Barberini warns Galileo not to continue with his theories regarding the planets. "Lamps" While at mass with his daughter, Galileo observes the swinging of a lamp suspended from the ceiling moving in pendulum fashion