Museo Galileo
italiano
Virtual Museum
Johannes Faber
1574-1629

A proficient doctor and botanist and, in 1600, Reader of the Simples (i.e., medicinal plants) at the Studio in Rome. In 1611, admitted to the Accademia dei Lincei, of which he became General Chancellor the following year. The most active colleague of Federico Cesi (1585-1630), he exchanged many letters with Galileo (1564-1642). Faber was the first to propose the term "microscope" for the occhialino [small eyeglass] invented by Galileo.