On February 13, 1633, the Italian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome, where he faced accusations of heresy for supporting Nicolaus Copernicus' heliocentric theory. Copernicus had posited nearly 200 years earlier that the Earth revolves around the Sun, a claim that was at odds with the prevailing geocentric view that placed the Earth at the center of the universe. Galileo's support for this theory drew the ire of the Catholic Church, which held significant power during this period.

In April of the same year, Galileo was formally tried by the Roman Inquisition, where he ultimately confessed to the charges against him, possibly to avoid harsher penalties. This confession led to Pope Urban VIII placing him under house arrest indefinitely, a penalty that effectively stifled Galileo's scientific contributions and forced him to spend his remaining years in relative isolation at his villa in Arcetri, near Florence. Galileo continued his scientific work in secret during this time, including his studies of motion and mathematics.

Galileo, born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, was the son of a musician and initially enrolled at the University of Pisa to study medicine. However, his interests shifted towards philosophy and mathematics, where he made groundbreaking contributions, including demonstrating that the acceleration of falling objects is not proportional to their weight. His trial and subsequent confinement symbolize the conflict between science and religious doctrine, a theme that resonates throughout history and has ongoing relevance in discussions about the freedom of scientific inquiry.