The Trial of Galileo is a landmark in the history of science as well as in the intellectual history of modern times. This book reconstructs the context in which the events leading to the Trial took place, through the scientific, philosophical, theological, political, and ideological disputes of the era, the Thirty Years' War, and the increasingly prominent presence of the Jesuits in education. The reconstruction of the context was based on the archival material of Galileo himself, his published and unpublished works, the archives of the Inquisition, and the correspondence between the members of an extensive network of both allies and enemies of Galileo. It also outlines the most significant developments during the 350 years since the end of the Trial, when many scholars sought to defend Galileo, while others argued that the Church acted rightly.

In 1616, Galileo had accepted the limitations of the decisions of the Inquisition. However, with the book he wrote in 1632, he tries to test the boundaries of these restrictions. Moreover, he believes that the Pope — and out of their long-standing relationship of mutual respect before his election — would not go to extremes by referring him to the Inquisition. Nevertheless, the absolute power of the Church required absolute obedience; thus, the Pope became his fiercest accuser.

The position presented in Galileo's Trial is that the problem for the Catholic Church was not so much the theologically heretical view of the motion of the Earth, but rather that a new cosmology would lead to a new way of perceiving nature; and then Aristotelianism, which had already faced much criticism, would collapse, along with the system of ideas that supported the immense social power of philosophers and theologians. Astronomers, mathematicians, and craftsmen would begin to play a dominant role, and social relationships would change. This is what the ecclesiastical authority wanted to avoid in the 17th century, and the traditional interpretations of the Scriptures provided it with the best excuse to achieve this. The disobedient Galileo could evolve into a symbol of unruly spirit that would undermine the intellectual hegemony of the Church.