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Copernicus and Fracastoro: The Dedicatory Letters to Pope Paul III, the History of Astronomy, and the Quest for Patronage

Tessicini, Dario; Granada, Miguel

Authors

Dario Tessicini

Miguel Granada



Abstract

Copernicuss De revolutionibus (1543) and Girolamo Fracastoro's Homocentrica (1538) were both addressed to Pope Paul III (1534-1549). Their dedicatory letters represent a rhetorical exercise in advocating an astronomical reform and an attempt to obtain the papal favour. Following on from studies carried out by Westman (1990) and Barker & Goldstein (2003), this paper deals with cultural, intellectual and scientific motives of both texts, and aims at underlining possible relations between them, such as that Copernicus knew of Fracastoro's Homocentrica, and that at least part of the rhetorical strategy laid out in De revolutionibus's dedicatory letter can be read as a sophisticated response to Fracastoro's arguments.

Citation

Tessicini, D., & Granada, M. (2005). Copernicus and Fracastoro: The Dedicatory Letters to Pope Paul III, the History of Astronomy, and the Quest for Patronage. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 36(3), 431-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2005.07.001

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2005-09
Deposit Date Feb 28, 2008
Journal Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A
Print ISSN 1355-2198
Electronic ISSN 1355-2198
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 36
Issue 3
Pages 431-476
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2005.07.001
Keywords Copernicus, Fracastoro, Paul III, History of astronomy, Patronage.