The contributions of Galileo Galilei—the founder of modern science—to physics and astronomy are universally recognized, and thousands of pages have been devoted to them. Yet the spectrum of his genius radiates in many hues, like a rainbow: a restless mind, whimsical at times, always eager to challenge received opinions and entrenched doctrines. Some of these colours remain little known, overshadowed by the dazzling brilliance of his scientific achievements.
In this talk, I will attempt to sketch, in the shifting patterns of a kaleidoscope, the many facets of his personality: physicist, astronomer, mathematician, engineer, writer, philosopher, musician, literary critic, painter, lover, refined gourmet, pioneering vintner, and, not least, a true maledetto toscano—an irrepressible polemicist.

IFIC colloquium organizers