Galileos on Our Territory

About skillful Venetian salt traders and ambitious family members in Carniola

Abstract

The influence of Galileo Galilei on the Carniolans had a personal touch. One of his older relatives in Carniola included the main Venetian salt trader Francesco Galilei († before 17 June 1647), who cleverly took advantage of large differences in prices between the Venetian and Hapsburg territories. F. Galilei played a key role in arranging Galileo Galilei’s pension with the cathedral in Brescia in the then Venetian territory. For Slovenes, an even more important tenant of the salt trade was Roberto Galilei (1615 Florence - 1681 Ljubljana), who became the quarter captain for the Istrian part of Carniola, a Carniolan countryman and a rich banker. As a captain, he commanded the defence against the planned Ottoman attack on Vienna in 1663 and kept his lucrative position for two decades until his death. Roberto was held in high esteem in Carniola, judging by the godfathers of his children, who included the head of the province himself; Roberto’s wife was godmother to the daughter of Karl Valvasor († 1697), the half-brother of the historian and polymath Janez Vajkard Valvasor. The article investigates Roberto’s ties with affluent entrepreneurs from Ljubljana, in particular tradesmen such as Caharija Waldtreich and Franc Zergoll(ern). The Ljubljana heritage of Roberto Galilei, which was inventoried soon after his death, reveals the splendor of a man who was quite wealthy. Roberto married Baroness Mordax, who gave birth to as many as eight children. With the exception of the oldest son, all were baptized in the Ljubljana cathedral. The Ljubljana Franciscans buried Roberto, his wife and their adult daughter.