Aspetti e momenti del dibattito astronomico nella prima Accademia dei Lincei (1603-1616)

The astronomical debate developed in the Accademia dei Lincei during the first three decades of the seventeenth century should be considered as one of the most interesting features of the activity of the academy founded in Rome by Prince Federico Cesi. Indeed, the relationship between the Academy and the spread of eliocentric astronomy is very close, since many of the Lincei were fully involved in the Copernican campaign promoted by Galileo. From this point of view, expecially noteworthy is the "celestial novelties" described in "Sidereus Nuncius" (1610). Let us only recall that Galileo was enrolled as Linceo in 1611, and that two major works of him, the "Istoria e dimostrazioni intorno alle macchie solari" (1613) and "Il Saggiatore" (1623), were published under the aegis of the Academy. The present research aims to outline the development of astronomical views in the context of the Lincei Academy since its establishment in 1603. Starting from the astronomical studies originally performed by the former members (Federico Cesi, Francesco Stelluti, Joannes van Heeck, Anastasio de Filiis), I'll try to reconstruct in detail the whole debate on astronomy that marked the life of the Academy until the decease (in 1630) of its founder and leader, Prince Federico Cesi. Over about thirty years, the Lincei wew engaged in a careful survey of the main problems arousing from the study of celestial phenomena. Despite of the plurality of opinions resulting inside its ranks, the Academy as a whole shared an anti-traditionalistic stance, resolutely siding with the innovative achievements of its most distinguished adherent: Galileo. In its regard, one can remind the position taken up by Federico Cesi (and shared by other major figures of the Academy) on yhe problem of the fluidity of heavens, to not mention the staunch support given by Lincei to galileo's telescopic discoveries and to the latter's advocacy of Copernican cosmology. In conclusion, to go deeper into the details of the astronomical debate which enlived the first three decades of the so called "prima Accademia dei Lincei" will provide us with an unvaluable opportunity to refine the understanding of the dynamics of scientific ideas, by enhancing our knowledge of a very relevant chapter in the intellectual history of the early modern age.