CONTENTS

S. M. CelesteHere she was rushing to get her last letter to her father into the hands of Signor Francesco Lupi,Suor Maria Vincenzia’s brother-in-law, before his litter rumbled off to Rome by way of Siena.Although the Niccolinis could not accompany Galileo back to Arcetri as they had intended, Galileoindeed returned by the end of the week. Grand Duke Ferdinando came in person to Il Gioiello towelcome him back and stayed to visit for two hours. They spoke of life and honor, and how Galileohad preserved his against formidable odds, to become even more esteemed in his patron’s eyes. IfFerdinando’s fidelity to Galileo had fluttered briefly during the trial in response to Urban’s threats,the future would find him a more steadfast friend.On December 17, Galileo wrote a formal letter of thanks to his most highly placed supporter inRome, Francesco Cardinal Barberini:I have always taken special note of how affectionately Your Eminence has empathizedwith me in the events that befell me, and I especially recognize the value of yourintercession in ultimately securing for me the grace of my being allowed to return to thequiet of my villa, precisely as I wanted to do. This and a thousand other kindnesses, alloriginating from your benign hand, confirm in me the wish, no less than the obligation,to always serve and revere Your Eminence, whenever it may please you to honor mewith your command: not having such an order from you at the moment, I render therequisite thanks for the favor received, which I so fervently desired; and with the mostrespectful love I bow to you and kiss your robe, wishing you every happiness this mostholy Christmas.In truth Galileo was not so much home now as under perpetual house arrest. Later he woulddateline his letters, “From my prison in Arcetri.” He was forbidden to receive any visitors whomight discuss scientific ideas with him. Nor could he go anywhere except to the neighboringconvent, where the private reunion with his daughters revealed the true emotional cost to SuorMaria Celeste of the long, anxious separation. She had been frequently ill, he discovered, but hadpaid too little attention to herself.Galileo might have expected her to regain her stamina now in the relief of his repatriation and thesudden respite from responsi- bility for his affairs. But instead she grew weaker.“Most of all I am distressed by the news of Suor Maria Celeste,” Niccolò Aggiunti wrote from Pisawhen Galileo told him of her condition. “I know the fatherly and daughterly affection which existsbetween you; I know the lofty intellect, and the wisdom, prudence, and goodness with which yourdaughter is endowed, and I know of no one who in the same way as she remained your unique andgentle comforter in your tribulations.”For months she had dropped all talk of entering the other life, to focus only on having her fatherreturn to his home and their life together. But now it seemed that both those prayers might beanswered simultaneously.In the weakened state she had described so often, Suor Maria Celeste easily succumbed to one ofthe many contaminants in the food or water supply. Toward the end of March 1634, she fell gravelyill with dysentery. From the moment she took sick, Galileo walked from Il Gioiello to San Matteoevery day, trying to hold on to her with love and prayer. The disease cursed her with intense,unremitting abdominal pain. Her inflamed intestines evacuated fluids indiscriminately, some bloodalong with the vital water, until she became dehydrated. The tiny amounts of broth she couldswallow would not revive her, and finally the whole balance of her body tipped against her heart.Despite the best efforts of Doctor Ronconi and Suor Luisa to save her, she died during their vigil onthe second night of April.Galileo’s grief felled him. For months he sought his only solace in reading religious poems anddialogues.