Various Institutes for Theoretical Physics already work along similar lines, hosting distinguished researchers from all over the world for extended periods.
The Galileo Institute, funded by INFN and sponsored by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare and University of Florence, is located on the historic hill of Arcetri, near the house where Galileo spent periods of his life and died in 1642, in a building owned by the University of Florence.
Its basic referent is the INFN Scientific Committee for Theoretical Physics which gives its full support to favour the activities of the institute.
The internationally recognized excellent record of INFN physicists in this domain of theoretical physics guarantees a profitable and fertile environment.
The appointed members of the Launching Committee were David Gross, Giuseppe Marchesini, Alfred Mueller, Giorgio Parisi and Gabriele Veneziano (chair).