In 1603, the Academy of the Lynx-Eyed was founded in 1603 by Federico Cesi, the first academy of sciences to exist in Italy, and a focus of the scientific revolution.

The Academy was named after the lynx, an animal whose sharp vision symbolized the observational prowess that it was believed science required. Galileo joined the academy on Dec. 25, 1611, and the published his works throughout the Roman Inquisition.

Federico Cesi died in 1630 and the Academy ceased to exist in 1651.