Opera Theatre of St. Louis dramatizes Galileo’s high-stakes conflict with the Church

In 17th century Italy, Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope at the sky and discovered a truth that threatened his life: the Earth revolves around the sun.

The reality of a heliocentric solar system conflicted with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which viewed the earth as the center of the universe. The Church declared the astronomer’s truth-telling to be heresy, punishable by death.