Galileo Galilei has spent ten years under house arrest.

One of the interesting facts about Galileo Galilei is that he spent ten years under house arrest. In "The Dialogue Concerning the Two Major World Systems (1632)," Galileo defended his theory. It appears to have taken aim at Pope Urban VIII, alienating both him and the Jesuits, who had up to this point been supportive of Galileo. The Inquisition tried him, declared him to be "suspected of heresy," and made him renounce. He was placed under home arrest for the remainder of his life. He summarized the work he had done some forty years previously in Two New Sciences (1638), which was primarily concerned with the kinetics and strength of materials.

In Arcetri, close to Florence, he spent the final ten years of his life with his villagers. He was not allowed to publish any books at that time, and those who were permitted to see him had very limited access. For the following three years, he was even required to read seven penitential psalms once a week.

Galileo did, however, host a number of European visitors, notably Thomas Hobbes and John Milton. The manuscript for Galileo's most recent book, "Courses and Mathematical Proofs Concerning the Two New Sciences," which is regarded as one of his best, was once stolen. It was Galileo's final book and came out in 1638. Galileo become entirely blind in the same year and passed away on January 8 of 1642 at the age of 77.