Description

17th cent. Galilean Telescope by M. Settala, Milan

An extremely rare hand.held cardboard and leather telescope from the 17th century.

Inscribed on the objective lens is: “Man Sept. F.”  i.e. Manfredo Settala (1600-1680) the famous scientist of Milan. (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfredo_Settala_(scienziato))

Dimension: 59 cm (23 ¼”) open, 29,3 cm  (11 ½”) close; 3,9 cm (1 ½”) diam.

Age: around 1650

A 3-cardboard sections covered with 17th century polichrome paper insert inside the main tube that is dark leather (greenish in places) covered. It has 3 intermediate enlargments and other 2 at the ends. Lens mounts are made of hard wood (Boxus sp.).

The optical configuration is that of the so-called “Galilean” or “Dutch” telescope. It consists of a convex objective and a concave ocular, very early model.

The original lenses give us a clear long-distance vision.

The lenght of the open telescope at focus is exactly 59 cm, i.e. corresponding to one “Milanese Braccio”, a current lentgh in the 17th century in Northern Italy.

This is an important instruments that witness the production of Manfredo Settala, defined “the Archimedes of Milan”.( https://www.storiadimilano.it/personaggi/milanesi%20illustri/settala/manfredosettala.htm)

The history and fate of the so called “Galleria Settala” is known by many researches made in the last part of 20th century. Shortly, after his death in 1680 the collection was moved to Pinacoteca Ambrosiana; nevertheless its dispersion took place already in mid-18th and then during bombing over Milan in 1943 and later again in ‘70s. Many items still remain and are now displayed in the museum of Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan.

AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT FROM AN ANCIENT WUNDERKAMMERN