Science Christina was chosen by Fernando as bride, not only because she was a devout Catholic, but also because she was intelligent and well educated. Christina had received a scholarly education due to the efforts of
Catherine de' Medici. In 1605, she invited
Galileo Galilei to tutor her son
Cosimo II de' Medici. Among other things, Galilei taught Cosimo the use of the geometric and military
compass. In 1608 Christina asked Galileo to attend Cosimo's wedding to
Maria Maddalena of Austria and in the same year asked him to cast a horoscope for her ill husband. Following the death of his father, Cosimo assumed the throne in February 1609, and Galileo applied for patronage at the Medici court. Christina and the Medici Court also offered patronage to the philosopher
Cosimo Boscaglia. When the court was in Pisa during winter, in December 1613, Galileo's former student
Benedetto Castelli was invited to court. At a breakfast attended by Cosimo II, his wife, his mother Christina and Boscaglia the Medicean stars were discussed. These were the four moons of
Jupiter Galileo had discovered and named after Cosimo II and his brothers. Boscaglia conceded that these moons were real, and not an illusion produced by the lens of the telescope. But Boscaglia argued that Galileo's interpretation of his discoveries was wrong, mainly because "the motion of the Earth seemed incredible and could not be true, all the more so since Holy Scripture was clearly against this opinion." Christina asked Castelli for his opinion on the matter, not as a mathematician but as a theologian. Castelli responded that with regards to the exact workings of nature, he gave precedence to natural philosophers, and that theologians should in the light of these findings determine the meaning of the Bible. In the letter to Galileo, Castelli stated that Christina criticized heliocentrism, and Galileo did not like this. However, Christina's disagreement was prompted by Boscaglia rather than by her own thought. Galileo had been attacked in front of his paymasters, and after being warned by Castelli and an exchange of views with his former student, he drafted a response. In his
Letter to Grand Duchess Christina Galileo expounded on the relationship between science and revelation. He argued that the Scripture does not intend to teach natural philosophy, but conveys the message of salvation. Thus there was not need to reconcile the Bible with science, and that it would damage the authority of the Church in the unbelieving world if it was to make rash pronouncements about science. This line of argument resembled Christina's own views on the matter, and is in essence the position the
Catholic Church takes today on questions of science.
Female monasteries Christina's reputation for piety stems from her patronage for Florentine religious institutions, particularly female monasteries. She became an active patron immediately after her marriage. In 1592, she and her daughters were granted permission by Pope
Clement VIII to enter Florentine convents during the day. Through her patronage the
Monastero di Santa Croce (or
La Crocetta) became the principal residence for unmarried Medici princesses. As a young woman, Christina had expressed the wish to finish her life in a convent, but she never withdrew from political affairs. She did, however, commission the construction of a residence for herself next to Crocetta to spend less time at the Medici court in
Pitti Palace. In 1627 she purchased a villa, renamed it
La Quiete and had it decorated in iconographic style by
Giovanni da San Giovanni. ==Issue==