Museum: Galileo’s fingers, tooth are found

lasvegassun ^ | Nov. 20, 2009

[JoeProBono]

Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday.

Paolo Galluzzi, director of the Museum of the History of Science, said three fingers, a vertebra and a tooth were removed by enthusiastic admirers from the astronomer's body in 1737, 95 years after his death, while his corpse was being moved from a storage place to a monumental tomb, opposite the tomb of Michelangelo, in Santa Croce Basilica in Florence.

One of the fingers was recovered soon after, and is now part of the museum's collection, and the vertebra has been kept at the University of Padua, where Galileo had taught for years, according to the museum.

But the tooth and two of the fingers -- the thumb and middle finger -- from the scientist's right hand, were kept by one of the admirers, an Italian marquis, and later kept in a container which was passed on from generation to generation in the same family, Galluzzi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

[JoeProBono]

FILE PHOTO

[a fool in paradise]

Will this be a museum piece one day?

[hoe_cake]

I don’t think I’d want to see Galileo’s finger. Gross.

[Ditter]

I just don’t understanding collecting human body parts, for what ever reason. It is just beyond my powers of understanding.

Are we sure that second picture is of a finger?

[JoeProBono]

[InterceptPoint]

a monumental tomb, opposite the tomb of Michelangelo, in Santa Croce Basilica in Florence.

I had the rare privilege of being at the Sata Croce Basilica about two weeks ago specifically to view the tombs Michelangelo and Galileo. Two great Italian masters. If you ever get the opportunity to see Michelangelo's David, which is in a nearby Florence museum, don't pass up the chance - it is something to behold, all 17 ft. of it.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I don’t think I’d want to see Galileo’s finger. Gross."

Then you really don't want to do a Google search to see what part of Rasputin's anatomy was preserved for posterity....

[hoe_cake]

Dan Rowen: Say “good night” Dick.

Dick Martin: Good night, Dick.

[hoe_cake]

well, now that you bring it up, of course I do.

[JoeProBono]

OK OK

[hoe_cake]

EEK! What is THAT?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Gross.

[JoeProBono]

A question, Joe

“EEK! What is THAT?”

[hoe_cake]

Yes, Joe, tell me. I’ll close my eyes.

[hoe_cake]

hoe-cake, you is WAY in over your head with these two Joes.

[JoeProBono]

Some kind of root I think

[hoe_cake]

Phew!

[JoeProBono]

“good night” Dick.

[hoe_cake]

Same to you, Joe.

[tophat9000]

O no ! is that Rasputin's pickle pecker?