Post-Galilean Meteorology: Experimentalism, Subterranean Fire, and Anatomy of the Earth

This article explores interpretations of the Earth’s interior during the latter half of the seventeenth century, focusing particularly on the debate surrounding the existence of a great central fire. In 1667, Donato Rossetti, a collaborator of the experimental Accademia del Cimento, challenged the central fire hypothesis by proposing instead that at the center of the Earth lay a heart that, through rhythmic systolic and diastolic movements, regulated all terrestrial phenomena. I argue that uncovering the motivations behind Rossetti’s model reveals, first and foremost, the crucial role of meteorology in the conflict between proponents and opponents of Galilean science during this period. Furthermore, Rossetti’s terrestrial model exemplifies an effort to legitimize the study of the Earth’s interior as a valid domain of experimental science – one that could be fully integrated into the Galilean Accademia del Cimento’s investigations of natural phenomena. To support his theory, Rossetti drew upon two key foundations: experimental studies of fluid motion and observations of human blood circulation, a subject that had captivated members of the Cimento since the mid-1650s.