Theatrical Reading
Place – Time
A theatrical reading will be presented, based on the theatrical play “Galileo’s Pope” by Kostas Gavroglu. The performance will be interpreted by undergraduate students of the Department of Pedagogy and Primary Education (NKUA), on Saturday, 28th June 2025, in the Athens University History Museum, Plaka.
A brief description of the play
Four hundred years ago, in April 1624, the leading natural philosopher Galileo visited Rome to congratulate his friend, Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, on his election as Pope Urban VIII. The election of this very friendly figure to the highest office of the Catholic Church created great expectations for the politically and theologically optimistic Galileo. Although he had six consecutive and lengthy meetings with the very friendly Pope Urban VIII, the Pope would later become Galileo’s greatest enemy, and in 1632 he decided that Galileo should be presented and tried for his ideas by the Inquisition. The deeper causes of the Catholic Church’s shift in attitude towards the most famous advocate of the new heliocentric cosmology are presented in an engaging manner in the theatrical play by Kostas Gavroglou, “Galileo’s Pope”.
Galileos-Pope Α4-ΔΙΠΛΩΜΕΝΟ-Χ-80-AUHM_Galileos-Pope_Program
Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology visits the Conference
Featured Guest at the 2nd European Regional History, Philosophy & Science Teaching Conference
We are honored to welcome the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology (https://kotsanas.com/en/home-en/) as a featured guest at our upcoming conference. Through a dynamic combination of exhibition, presentation, and hands-on activities, the Museum will highlight its unique approach to science communication and experiential education.
On Sunday, June 29th, a special talk titled “Communicating Science through the Eyes of a Museum” will explore how a technology museum engages the public in science through interactive reconstructions of pioneering ancient Greek inventions. This session will offer insights into the museum’s interpretative practices, social outreach, and educational philosophy grounded in historical and philosophical contexts.
Throughout the conference (June 27–29), the Museum will also be present in the venue with:
- A video presentation of key exhibits
- Live experiential activities, including:
- “Strategic Games in Ancient Greece”, where participants will discover classic games like the Archimedes Ostomachion
- A hands-on educational kit: “The Heart of the Antikythera Mechanism”, offering participants the chance to understand and assemble the core mechanism of this iconic ancient artifact
Join us for this rare opportunity to experience ancient technology brought vividly to life by one of Europe’s most engaging science museums.