Virginia

Virginia, Galileo’s daughter. She is a pious devotee of church dogma who has neither interest in nor
understanding of her father’s work. In turn, Galileo shows little concern for her welfare: He insults
Virginia’s reactionary fiancé to the point of causing the young man to break the engagement. During the
abjuration scene, she prays fervently that Galileo will see the error of his challenge to the church’s
guidance. The Inquisition places Virginia in charge of her father’s submissive conduct for the remainder
of his life. She is forty when the play concludes. She is portrayed as loyal and loving, but somewhat
simple-minded, never taking to Galileo's ideas and believing more in her religion than in science.

priuli

The Procurator is Galileo’s superior at Padua University. He is sensitive to Galileo’s genius and need for
more money, even if he can’t help Galileo get a raise. A product of his time, the Procurator values both
philosophy and theology over religion and he regrets that someone of Galileo’s obviously formidable
talent should have chosen a career in base mathematics. While the Procurator is upset about Galileo’s
deception, he has no real reason to doubt him about it. He knows that Galileo has invented remarkably
useful things in the past. The Procurator is especially proud of Padua University as a bastion of free
thought.