The Precision Instrument Industry in pre-Unification Italy
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For the entire first half of the 19st century the production of scientific instruments in Italy was limited...

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The Founding of Officina Galileo
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The country's unification in 1861 favoured the modernization and development of the Kingdom of Italy.

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Good Times and Bad Times
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Although the instruments produced by the Officina Galileo received national and international recognition at exhibitions...

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New Products, New Markets
imageIn the last twenty years of the 19th century the Officine Galileo, in addition to constructing laboratory and topographical instruments... See all
The Winds of War
imageWorld War I was the first global conflict in which technology played a leading role. See all
Expansion
imageThe period immediately after World War I was a time of serious problems... See all
Troubled Times
imageIn the first years of World War II, production increased and was rationalized and standardized still further. See all
Reconstruction
imageIn 1945 the company found itself in a dramatic situation. The Rifredi plant was in disastrous conditions, the machinery having been either destroyed or moved elsewhere. See all
The Second Half of the 20th Century
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In the second half of the 20th century, not only the production but also the structure of the Officine Galileo changed.

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An On-Going History
imageToday Selex ES, the direct descendent of Officine Galileo, is a company with numerous branches abroad... See all
Florence and the Officine Galileo
imageThe story of the Officine Galileo and its branches has been an integral part of the social, industrial and economic history of Florence in the last 150 years. See all