- Leibniz and Florence. Science, erudition and cultural relations

On 5 and 6 November 2026, an international conference explores Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s relationship with the scientific and cultural world of Florence in his time.

Between November and December 1689, during his journey through Italy, the philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz stayed in Florence. There he came into contact with some of the leading figures in the city’s scientific and cultural life. They included Vincenzo Viviani, Galileo’s last pupil and the custodian of his scientific legacy, as well as Francesco Redi, Lorenzo Magalotti and Antonio Magliabechi. All were central figures in a dense network of intellectual exchange that linked Florence with Europe’s main centres of learning.

His stay in Florence gave Leibniz an important opportunity for scientific debate and for historical and scholarly research. He reflected further on Galileo’s work and on the sensitive issue of the condemnation of the Copernican system. He also continued work on the Dynamica, which he intended to dedicate to Grand Duke Cosimo III. The meetings and exchanges that began during those weeks did not end with his departure. His interest in the scholars he had met in Florence, in their research and in Galileo’s legacy continued to shape his thinking and his intellectual relationships in the years that followed.

These themes are the focus of the international conference Leibniz and Florence. Science, erudition and cultural relations. Through contributions from Italian and international scholars, the two days will examine the role of Florence in the development of Leibniz’s scientific thought. Particular attention will be given to the new research perspectives opened up by the digitisation of the works, manuscripts and correspondence of Leibniz and his Florentine interlocutors.

The conference is organised by the Museo Galileo in collaboration with the Sodalitas Leibnitiana, the University of Turin and the Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Gesellschaft in Hanover, under the patronage of the Region of Tuscany and Florence City Council.

Event information

When: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026
Where: Florence, Museo Galileo, Piazza dei Giudici 1
Admission: free
Programme: download the full programme