Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer who revolutionized science in his time and the influence of his knowledge continues to this day. He was a genius of the Renaissance and was noted for making valuable discoveries that generated great controversy. Galilei was a fierce opponent of the Catholic Church, and as time went by, scientific arguments proved the Italian genius right. In addition to being an astronomer, Galilei was a physicist, engineer, mathematician and philosopher, achieving great accomplishments in these areas of knowledge. As for his love life, there was no Galileo Galilei wife. He maintained a stable relationship with Marina Gamba, but never married her.
Meeting Marina Gamba
Marina Gamba (1570-1612) was the sentimental partner of Galileo Galilei and the mother of the three illegitimate children he had with the famous astronomer. She was born in Venice, but spent most of her life living in Padua. Because of his many scientific activities, Galileo Galilei traveled to many places. On one of these trips, he met Marina and soon after took her to live with him in Padua. It is known that she was a poor woman and found in Galilei a breadwinner. However, Galileo Galilei spouse never existed, since the astronomer never wanted to marry her.
The patriarchy of that time
The love affair between Marina Gamba and Galileo Galilei testifies to the worst of the patriarchal society of that time. As a humble and unfortunate woman, Gamboa accepted the negative conditions that Galilei imposed on her. He never married her nor did he recognize her as his sentimental partner in front of others. At that time de facto love unions were frowned upon by society, something that does not happen today. Galileo was a socially important man and surely Gamba did not dare to argue with him.
Three illegitimate children
During the love affair between Galileo Galilei and Marina Gamba, three illegitimate children were born: Virginia, Livia and Vincenzo. Due to Galilei’s social position, in addition to his numerous friendships with the Italian nobility, he could not publicly acknowledge an illegitimate family. The astronomer decided the destiny of his children: Virginia and Livia were admitted to a convent and after a few years they became nuns. They lived in the convent all their lives. At that time the best destiny for illegitimate daughters was to become nuns, since they were not fit for marriage.
As for Vincenzo, he was the only one who received his father’s surname, since the astronomer decided to legitimize him.
Science over love life
There was no Galileo Galilei spouse in the life of the Italian physicist despite a de facto love affair with Marina Gamba. Evidently Galilei preferred science before formally marrying his partner. The physicist focused on his scientific work and everything else was secondary to him.
It should also be remembered that the astronomer had a terrible relationship with the Catholic Church. The Roman Inquisition considered him a suspect of heresy and condemned him to house arrest until his death. For all these reasons, Galilei would never marry through the Catholic Church.
Sexism
Galileo Galilei had three illegitimate children and decided the fate of each of them according to their gender. He imposed on his daughters, Virginia and Livia, a religious life by having them enter a convent. That was considered dignified and they eventually became nuns. With his son Vincenzo, however, everything was different. Since he was a man, Galileo did want to recognize him before the law and gave him his surname. The astronomer also managed to get his son a noble title: Grand Duke of Tuscany. Galilei’s behavior reflects the sexism of the time, something that is slowly being eradicated in the West.
Conclusion
Marina Gamba was Galileo Galilei’s faithful companion throughout the years, allowing the physicist to achieve all his scientific goals. However, there was no Galileo Galilei wife in the destiny of the Italian genius for several reasons. He was at odds with the Catholic Church and would never have married. On the other hand, Galilei was totally dedicated to scientific activity and downplayed the importance of everything else. Reflecting the times, Gamba accepted the conditions that his partner imposed on him and never defended her own interests nor those of their children.
Summary:
| Galileo Galilei Spouse(s) | Marina Gamba (Partner) |
| Galileo Galilei Children | Maria Celeste, Vincenzo Gamba, Livia Galilei |
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