The Precision Instrument Industry in pre-Unification Italy
For the entire first half of the 19st century the production of scientific instruments in Italy was limited...
See allThe Founding of Officina Galileo
The country's unification in 1861 favoured the modernization and development of the Kingdom of Italy.
See allGood Times and Bad Times
Although the instruments produced by the Officina Galileo received national and international recognition at exhibitions...
See allNew Products, New Markets
In the last twenty years of the 19th century the Officine Galileo, in addition to constructing laboratory and topographical instruments...
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The Winds of War
World War I was the first global conflict in which technology played a leading role.
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The period immediately after World War I was a time of serious problems...
Troubled Times
In the first years of World War II, production increased and was rationalized and standardized still further.
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Reconstruction
In 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.
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The Second Half of the 20th Century
In the second half of the 20th century, not only the production but also the structure of the Officine Galileo changed.
See allAn On-Going History
Today Selex ES, the direct descendent of Officine Galileo, is a company with numerous branches abroad...
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Florence and the Officine Galileo
The 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.
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