Benedetto Castelli

Born in Brescia in 1577, Benedetto Castelli became a Benedictine monk and went on to study mathematics with Galileo in Padua. Their connection remained important throughout his life: Castelli was a loyal supporter of Galileo and is often described as one of his main scientific collaborators.

Castelli built a reputation in both astronomy and hydraulics. He taught mathematics, worked in Rome, and wrote on the movement of water, a subject that mattered not only to science but also to practical problems such as rivers and flooding. His work helped shape early modern thinking about fluid motion.

He died in 1643. Today he is remembered as a key figure in the scientific circles of his time: a scholar, teacher, and churchman who stood close to one of the great turning points in the history of science.