Gandia rediscovers Valencian astronomer who looked beyond the stars Jeroni Munyós

  • UVGandia
  • Marta Perez Ortiz
  • November 11th, 2025
 
Imatge d'alguns dels panells de l'exposició a Gandia

Universitat de València International Centre of Gandia brings the legacy of great Renaissance Valencian scientist Jeroni Munyós to the public with an exhibition in this space on 5 December.

Science and history meet for the exhibition 'Jeroni Munyós: matemáticas, cosmología y humanismo en la época del Renacimiento’ (‘Jeroni Munyón: Math, Cosmology and Humanism in the Renaissance’) Dedicated to one of the most relevant scientists of València during the Renaissance and predecessor of modern science, this sample celebrates the 2025 edition of Gandia Week of Science and Technology.

Thanks to the combined effort of Astronomic Observatory and Universitat de València Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, with texts by Amelia Ortiz Gil, Fernando Ballesteros Roselló and Enric Marco Soler, the exhibition —cmade up of 15 panels— highlights the most relevant aspects of the life and work of this Valencian astronomer, from his birth in 1522 in València to his death in 1591 in Valladolid. Special emphasis to his Universitat de València professor era when he taught maths, Hebrew and astronomy and worked in projects of geodesy, border delimitation of the Regne de València, geography treaties and engineering work.

The exhibition has been produced by Universitat de València Vice-Principal Office for Culture and Society and organised by UVgandia. Inaugurated in 2023 at the Faculty of Language Studies, Translation and Communication, the exhibition has visited different university spaces and Valencian regions through the Cultura als Campus programme and the Universitat de València presence in the territory thanks to UVsocietat. It has now come to Gandia open until 5 December in the entrance hall of UV Gandia International Centre (c/ Tossal, 8), from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Pioneer astronomer, cosmos observer

Renaissance scientis and humanist, Jeroni Munyós contributed to the development of modern science through his studies on the 1572 supernova, which remains in force. The observation and analysis of the new star in the Valencian sky in 1572 led him to refute the idea of the incorruptible sky and defended the possibility of change, contributing to the transition from the geocentric system to the heliocentric one, in synchrony with the European science of the moment —Tycho Brahe, Copernicus or Galileo Galilei—.

Although he published few works, he left a large amount of manuscripts about different disciplines of maths and astronomy of his time and their application, testimonies and university teachings.