The American Academy in Rome’s Casa Rustica (in the present Bass Garden) occupies the precise site where, on Thursday, April 14, 1611, Galileo made his first demonstration to a learned audience in Rome of his new invention, named on this occasion as the “telescope.” That evening represents the baptism of Galileo’s device as a true scientific instrument, as well as its inaugural presentation for scrutiny by members of the Church.
To mark the four hundredth anniversary of this historic achievement, the Academy decided to offer three events, starting on Thursday April 7, 2011, with an installment of AAR’s “Conversations That Matter” series, a dialogue between AAR Director Christopher S. Celenza (1994 Fellow) and the Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ.
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Galileo’s Eyes, video by Enzo Aronica projected on the AAR’s Casa Rustica
Plus, from Thursday, April 7 through Friday, April 15, 2011 the Academy’s Gallery has been hosting an exhibition organized by the Specola Vaticana (Vatican Observatory).
And on the actual anniversary, Thursday 14 April 2011 (7-11 PM), the Academy presented an evening-long indoor and outdoor program of music, readings, art installations, multimedia performances, and participatory stargazing, entitled the Galileo Cabaret. Read here for a lively (illustrated) description of the event by Associated Press reporter Nicole Winfield that has appeared in 200+ newspapers worldwide. Each of these Galileo-related events has been made possible through the generous support of Finmeccanica.
Here are some images from the Thursday 14 April Galileo Cabaret:
And here is a summary of the entire arc of Galileo events:
Thursday 7 April 2011, Conversation: an installment of the AAR’s “Conversations That Matter” series, that explored issues of science and faith, hosted by AAR Director Christopher S. Celenza FAAR’94. Celenza’s guest was Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J. (author of Brother Astronomer and Turn Left at Orion, and curator of the Vatican Meteorite Collection at Castel Gandolfo).
A future post on this weblog will feature a video of the entire hour-long Conversation.
Thursday 7 April through Friday 15 April 2011, Exhibition: an exhibition organized by the Specola Vaticana (Vatican Observatory) in the Academy’s Gallery, featuring one of the world’s finest collections of historical instruments for observing the sky and identifying stars and celestial bodies. Also contributing to the exhibition is Florence’s Museo Galileo, which loaned to the AAR a replica of a 1610 Galileo telescope, one that traveled in 2009 on the space shuttle Atlantis.
Thursday 14 April 2011 (7-11 PM), Galileo Cabaret: in the Academy’s Gallery, Cortile and Bass Garden, an evening-long indoor and outdoor program of music, readings, art installations, multimedia performances, and participatory stargazing. The Academy’s Rome Sustainable Food Project and associated vendors will cater the event, with food and drink evocative of the Age of Galileo. Generously sponsoring the wine for the event is Consorzio Tutela Vino Bardolino DOC. Coffee was offered free by Caffè Haiti Roma, and olive oil (including as the main ingredient in the most delicious torta imaginable) by MADI (Madi Gandolfo).
Performing at the Casa Rustica: Culture Brothers; Huck Hodge (Luciano Berio Rome Prize recipient) with Karen Yasinsky (Joseph H. Hazen Rome Prize recipient); Paul Rudy (Elliott Carter Rome Prize recipient) with Erika Eckert and video projections by Casey L. Brown (Prince Charitable Trusts Rome Prize recipient); also Dava Sobel, author of Galileo’s Daughter.
Huck Hodge and Paul Rudy each offered world premieres of musical compositions specially commissioned for the event.
Presenting installations throughout the American Academy: Enzo Aronica, N[ever]land (projections on Casa Rustica exterior); Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil, French Academy in Rome (“I Will Keep a Light Burning”); Helidon Gjergji (intervention in 16th century basement levels of Casa Rustica); and Giovanna Latis, AAR Italian Affiliated Fellow in the Arts (“Brancusi 03″ in Gallery).
Also featured: Luigi Ontani (“Canopo Galileo ChiniLei”, pictured on invitation below); Paola Pivi, AAR Italian Affiliated Fellow in the Arts (“Leoni”); Marco Raparelli, AAR Italian Affiliated Fellow in the Arts (collectible event T-shirts); and Adrian Van Allen, Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize recipient (replicas of Galileo telescope, exhibited in the Gallery and also for stargazing).
Stargazing: Musei Scientifici, Roma Capitale in collaboration with prestigious telescope makers Unitron Italia srl; also Fabio Carnevali.
The event was organized by AAR Mellon Professor Corey Brennan in collaboration with Enzo Aronica (N[ever]land).
