Galileo | Document annotated and signed by Galileo, dated Padua, 1595

Galileo Galilei

A document signed by Galileo, “io Galileo Galilei”, recording the receipt of 40 scudi 7 lire from Louis de la Court, dated Padua, 15 March 1595 and 13 April 1595

Bifolium, page size 269 x 195mm., the top half of the first recto containing 13 lines written by Luigi de la Court on 15 March 1595, detailing the charges for board and lodging at Galileo’s house for him and his servant, and signed by Luigi, followed by THREE LINES OF GALILEO’S HANDWRITING, dated 13 April 1595, with marginal notes by a clerk, on the verso of the conjoint sheet headings for notarial purposes, “Contratti, scritte, decreti, obbligazioni, e ragioni di Casa Galilei”, watermark of a bull with countermark of a fleur-de-lys and two letters, with creases from the folding of the document and small stab holes from being threaded onto a string, small holes along some creases, slightly soiled on verso

DOCUMENTS SIGNED BY GALILEO ARE OF THE UTMOST RARITY. APART FROM THE PRESENT ITEM, NO COMPARABLE DOCUMENT HAS APPEARED AT AUCTION SINCE 1985 AND ONLY THREE LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS CONTAINING GALILEO’S AUTOGRAPH ARE KNOWN IN PRIVATE HANDS. The appearance of this document at auction provides an exceptionally rare opportunity to obtain the autograph of the great Italian polymath who was one of the pioneers of modern science.