Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei
First Edition of the Second Impression in Italian. A rare and important issue of Galileo Galilei’s “Dialogo di Galileo Galilei linceo matematico supremo dello studio di padova…” better known as “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.” This volume is the first edition to appear with the appended letters of Galileo and Foscarini, Kepler’s “Commentario,” and woodcut diagrams and illustrations. In this work, Galileo compares the Copernican system, where the planets orbit the Sun, and the Ptolemaic system, where the Universe revolves around the Earth, determining that the Copernican system is the most viable.
First published in Italian in 1632 under license from the Inquisition, Galileo was subsequently found to be a heretic by the Catholic Church because of the ideas presented in “Dialogo.” Galileo was placed under house arrest for the rest of his life and he eventually recanted his ideas. “Dialogo” was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books and was not removed from the list until 1835.
TITLE: “Dialogo di Galileo Galilei linceo matematico supremo dello studio di padova, e Pisa. E filosofo, e matematico primario del serenissimo gran duca di Toscana. Dove ne i congressi di quattro giornate si discorre sopra i due massimi sistemi del Mondo Tolemaico, e Copernicano; proponendo indeterminatamente le ragioni filosofiche, e naturali tanto per l’una, quanto per l’altra parte. In quest a seconda impressione Accresciuto di una Lettera dello stesso, non piu stampata, e di varj Trattati di piu Autori, i qualil si veggono nel fine del Librio. Dedicato all Illustriss. Ed Eccellentiss. Signore Il Signor D. Carlo Caraffa Pacecco, Duca di Maddaloni, Marchese di Arienzo, Conte di Cerreto, Principe della Guardia, &c.” (“Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems”)
Published: 1710
Catalogue: #0577