readings for kids - VIDEO 4.1 (part 1) - Who was Galileo?
Who Was Galileo? by Patricia Brennan Demuth (2016) is a wonderful book addressed to children and teens about Galileo Galilei.
Galileo Galilei was an incredible Italian mathematician, inventor and astronomer. Born in Pisa in 1594, he taught maths at the University of Padua (Padova) in the land of Venice for 18 years of his life.
In 1609, he made an incredible invention while in Venice: the telescope! He convicend a few powerful friends and supporters to climb the Bell Tower in Piazza San Marco and test the telescope from there! Indeed, from there with the telescope they could see things that were invisible to the human eyes. They could see ships coming towards Venice that were 10 miles away, as if they where only 1 mile away! Galileo donated the telescope to the Doge, and he was doubled his pay at the University of Padua. Venice was enthusiastic for this invention: it was perfect as a military instrument!
This book is a particularly important reading for you kids if you are planning to come to Venice, Pisa, Florence and Rome... and also if you are not plannig anything :-) It is recommended for over-8-year-old children.
When in Venice, do not forget to go up the Belle Tower in San Marco!
