Gandia rediscovers Valencian astronomer who looked beyond the stars Jeroni Munyós

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 ofAstronomic Observatoryand Universitat de València Department ofAstronomy 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.

Theexhibition has been produced by Universitat de ValènciaVice-Principal Office for Culture and Societyand organised byUVgandia. Inaugurated in 2023 at the Faculty of Language Studies, Translation and Communication, the exhibition has visited different university spaces and Valencian regions through theCultura als Campus programme and the Universitat de València presence in the territory thanks toUVsocietat. It has now come to Gandiaopen until 5 Decemberin the entrance hall ofUV 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 Munyóscontributed 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.