Galileo's Daughter underlying devotion to her father Essay

Galileo's Daughter underlying devotion to her father - Essay Example Since all the three of Galileo’s children were illegitimate, he knew it would be difficult to marry them off, which is why he sent two of his daughters to convents, to become nuns. Born Virginia Galilei, Galileo’s eldest daughter was a great source of support and encouragement to him. She later assumed the name of Suor Maria Celeste, at the San Matteo Convent, Arcetri. Evidently, she couldn’t retrieve information about the outside world and her correspondence with her father allowed her to learn and obtain news from outside. Galileo’s daughter was of brilliant intellect and often offered suggestions and advice to her father, when he seemed in a chaotic mindset or demoralised. The letters have been written using endearing terms and portray the great love and respect that Maria Celeste had for her father. The discussions revealed the deep interest she had in her father’s scientific work, wherein she often offered her opinions. Besides this, they also discussed extensively on health remedies and other family issues. In these pages, Maria Celeste is revealed as lively, insightful, ingenious. In the convent, she served as an apothecary, having learned the trade from "the nuns and visiting doctors who staffed the convents infirmary" (p. 325). Sobel speculates, however, that she learned to read and write in Latin and Italian under her fathers tutelage. Indeed, "no one at San Matteo surpassed her in language skills. Even the abbesses sought her out to write important letters of official business" (p. 325). In Sobels view, it is Suor Maria Celeste --- far more than her cloistered younger sister or her wayward, undisciplined brother --- who met Galileos match in intelligence, insight, devotion, and wit.