On May 7, 1925, the Institute of History of Science of the Royal University of Florence was inaugurated, located at via degli Alfani 33. The first of its kind in Italy, the Institute combined the objective of promoting the history of science with a new sensitivity towards the collection and enhancement of material evidence of Italian science. An autonomous entity since 1927, open to the public in 1930 at its current location in Palazzo Castellani, in 2010 the Institute assumed the name of Museo Galileo.

The exhibition, created to celebrate the hundred years of the Florentine institution, presents rare and precious editions of volumes mainly from the Mediceo-Lorenese Fund, which includes scientific texts collected by the two Tuscan dynasties over the centuries, offering visitors the unique opportunity to admire masterpieces that are not usually visible because they are kept in the library of the Museo Galileo.

Complementing the volumes, a photographic exhibition documents the most significant moments that have marked these hundred years, accompanied by videos that allow a deeper understanding of some of the themes on which the Institute's research has focused, from its foundation to the present day. The story clearly shows how Florence - due to tradition, history, and heritage of scientific texts and instruments - was the ideal place for the birth of this cultural institution, which has given rise to a model practically unique in the panorama of Italian museums.