The Trial of Galileo (documents of the Holy Office and the Congregation of the Index, 1616–1633)

Favaro printed two series, as his introduction explains: the decrees entered in the registers of the Holy Office, and the file of the trial itself with its examinations, minutes and original documents, which is kept in the Vatican archive. Those cited in this wiki are the theologians’ censure of 24 February 1616; the minutes of 25 and 26 February 1616 on the warning given by Cardinal Bellarmine and the order given by the commissary; the printed decree of the Index of 5 March 1616; Bellarmine’s certificate of 26 May 1616, in a copy in Galileo’s hand; the pope’s decision of 16 June 1633; the examination of 21 June; the sentence and abjuration of 22 June; and the decrees of 23 June, 30 June and 1 December 1633 on the place of his confinement.

These are the tribunal’s own records and state its case. The sentence gives its account of what happened in 1616. It also records that Galileo produced Bellarmine’s certificate, which says only that he was told the doctrine could not be defended or held, and that he said he had forgotten the further words of the order, not to teach it in any way.

On two points the record is specific. The pope’s decision of 16 June orders the threat of torture, and the examination of 21 June records the threat spoken and Galileo then sent back to his lodging. The decree of 23 June replaces the prison of the Holy Office with the grand duke of Tuscany’s palace in Rome, and that of 1 December with Galileo’s own country house.