Fingers pointing to the observer of the Universe (6 photos)
The role of Galileo Galilei in history is difficult to overestimate. The great Italian mathematician, astronomer, physicist and philosopher was among the first to use a telescope to observe celestial bodies and made a number of outstanding astronomical discoveries. 
Galileo is the founder of experimental physics. With his experiments he refuted Aristotle's speculative metaphysics and laid the foundation of classical mechanics. As you know, the innovator risked his life because of his beliefs. 
Galileo Galilei
When his time came and Galileo died in 1642, angry churchmen refused to allow the family to bury him in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence, where other family members and many of history's great minds, including Michelangelo and Dante, rest. 
Basilica of Santa Croce
The Duke of Tuscany wanted to bury the great scientist with dignity and erect a monument to him, but Pope Urban VIII considered such an action a terrible insult. He, however, allowed the scientist to be buried in the far corner of the basement in an unmarked grave. The situation changed only in 1737. With funds from donations, a worthy mausoleum was built for Galileo in Santa Croce.
That's when eager fans got their chance. Fans at all times are such fans. During the transfer of the remains, the cunning figure obtained three fingers of the deceased and his tooth. Such “souvenirs”, in fact, are not uncommon, since in the case of saints, whose particles supposedly have miraculous powers, this was a common practice. 
Tomb of Galilee
Two fingers (the index finger and thumb of the right hand) and a tooth settled on the Marquis Capponi. He placed them in a beautiful glass vessel, enclosed in a wooden box with a carved image of Galileo. Relics were passed down from generation to generation as shrines.
They appeared in public only in 1905, when they were put up for auction. An article from the April 5, 1906 Christian Advocate entitled "Galileo's Finger for Sale" recounted the event:
How much is a dead scientist's finger worth? This question is haunting the whole of Florence: the thumb and index finger of Galileo's right hand were recently put up for sale in that city by an elderly woman, Laura Gioni. Being in cramped life circumstances, she tried to get the highest offers for her strange property. The government, having learned about the incident, conducted an investigation and became convinced that the relics were genuine. The only issue that remains to be discussed is the issue of price. Experts will undoubtedly be brought in on this issue. 
There were no messages about the final price or buyer. The fingers and tooth disappeared again before another auction in 2009. The buyer contacted officials in Florence and the fingers were returned to the city where Galileo's remains rested.
However, the units have not yet been able to reunite. They are still about 500 meters apart. The fingers are now on display in the Galileo Museum, along with another finger stolen in 1737 by Anton Francesco Gori. This finger is the middle one, located next to the others in a separate glass egg and kept in the museum since 1927. Prior to this, the relic was exhibited in the Florentine Laurentian Library and in the Tribune of Galileo. 
In 1992, Pope John Paul II acknowledged the mistakes of his predecessors and officially declared that the church had dealt wrongly with Galileo. He published a document that confirmed the fallacy of the church's views on his scientific observations and beliefs.
The fingers pointing to the great scientist are still symbolically directed to the sky. Although, had it been the will of the deceased, he could have turned the middle one towards unreasonable and stubborn descendants.
