Marina Gamba
Encyclopedia
Marina Gamba of Venice
was the mother of three of Galileo Galilei
's illegitimate children.
Marina Gamba was born around 1570 in Venice.
During one of his frequent trips to Venice, Galileo met a young woman named Marina di Andrea Gamba, with whom he entered into a relationship. Marina Gamba moved into Galileo's house in Padua
and bore him three children, Virginia (August 16, 1600–1634), later Sister Maria Celeste
; Livia (1601–1659), later Sister Arcangela; and Vincenzo (1606–1649). In none of the three baptismal records is Galileo named as the father. In the case of Virginia, she was described as "daughter by fornication
of Marina of Venice," with no mention of the father; on Livia's baptismal record the name of the father was left blank; and on Vincenzo's baptismal record "father uncertain" ("Galileo's Daughter" 24, Dava Sobel, 1999). Galileo's position as a professor and his many friendships among the Venetian nobility probably made it unwise for him to figure officially as the father of the three children.
When Galileo left Padua for good to take up his position at the Medici court in Florence
, in 1610, he took the two daughters with him but left Marina Gamba behind with Vincenzo, who was then only four years old. Vincenzo joined Galileo in Florence
a few years later. She is often confused with Marina Bartoluzzi, in whose care Galileo had placed little Vincenzo while he was getting settled in Florence, resorting to the sale of a lute to pay for her services, and was long believed to have remarried a certain Giovanni Bartoluzzi. It has been ascertained instead that they were two different persons. Marina Gamba is probably the "Venetian Marina, 42 years of age" who was said to have died on August 21, 1612, "in the parish of San Daniele"
With Marina no longer in the family, Galileo put his two daughters in a convent where they were to become nuns and therefore would not get married. He managed to have Vincenzo legitimated by the Grand Duke of Tuscany.In his request for the legitimization of his son Vincenzo in 1619, Galileo declared that Marina, at the time of their cohabitation, "had never been married" and was "already dead" at the drawing up of the act. His son studied law and later became a lutenist like his namesake grandfather. Vincenzo died in 1649.
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
was the mother of three of Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
's illegitimate children.
Marina Gamba was born around 1570 in Venice.
During one of his frequent trips to Venice, Galileo met a young woman named Marina di Andrea Gamba, with whom he entered into a relationship. Marina Gamba moved into Galileo's house in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and bore him three children, Virginia (August 16, 1600–1634), later Sister Maria Celeste
Maria Celeste
Sister Maria Celeste , born Virginia Gamba, was the daughter of the famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei and Marina Gamba. She was the eldest of three siblings, with a sister Livia and a brother Vincenzio...
; Livia (1601–1659), later Sister Arcangela; and Vincenzo (1606–1649). In none of the three baptismal records is Galileo named as the father. In the case of Virginia, she was described as "daughter by fornication
Fornication
Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
of Marina of Venice," with no mention of the father; on Livia's baptismal record the name of the father was left blank; and on Vincenzo's baptismal record "father uncertain" ("Galileo's Daughter" 24, Dava Sobel, 1999). Galileo's position as a professor and his many friendships among the Venetian nobility probably made it unwise for him to figure officially as the father of the three children.
When Galileo left Padua for good to take up his position at the Medici court in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, in 1610, he took the two daughters with him but left Marina Gamba behind with Vincenzo, who was then only four years old. Vincenzo joined Galileo in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
a few years later. She is often confused with Marina Bartoluzzi, in whose care Galileo had placed little Vincenzo while he was getting settled in Florence, resorting to the sale of a lute to pay for her services, and was long believed to have remarried a certain Giovanni Bartoluzzi. It has been ascertained instead that they were two different persons. Marina Gamba is probably the "Venetian Marina, 42 years of age" who was said to have died on August 21, 1612, "in the parish of San Daniele"
With Marina no longer in the family, Galileo put his two daughters in a convent where they were to become nuns and therefore would not get married. He managed to have Vincenzo legitimated by the Grand Duke of Tuscany.In his request for the legitimization of his son Vincenzo in 1619, Galileo declared that Marina, at the time of their cohabitation, "had never been married" and was "already dead" at the drawing up of the act. His son studied law and later became a lutenist like his namesake grandfather. Vincenzo died in 1649.