The legend of Galileo, icon of modernity

Abstract

Ever since he was forced to recant, Galileo has become a symbol of the struggle fought by science against blind faith and superstition. The author shows different ways in which Galileo’s legend has been ideologically used throughout the last three centuries. He asserts that such uses are not substantiated by facts. Indeed, despite some differences, Galileo and the Inquisition shared common views on the nature of scientific truth and the complementarities between science and religion.