Epact Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe

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Horizontal Dial
Signed by Camillo della Volpaia
Dated 1542; Florence
Boxwood; 152 x 94 mm

Beneath the signature on the south edge of the instrument is a pin-gnomon dial for the stated latitude for Italian hours (IX to XXIII undivided). Below this is an inset compass surrounded by a circle of twenty four wind directions ('Septentrio', 'Gallicus', 'Svpernas', 'Aquilo', 'Boreas', 'Carbas', 'Solanvs', 'Ornithiae', 'Caecias', 'Evrvs', 'Vvltvrnvs', 'Levconotvs', 'Avster', 'Altanvs', 'Libonotvs', 'Africvs', 'Svbvespero', 'Arcestes', 'Favonivs', 'Stesiae', 'Circivs', 'Cavrvs', 'Corvs', 'Trascias'), surrounded in an outer ring by the names of eight compass directions: 'Meridional', 'Tramontana', 'Libeccio', 'Greco', 'Ponente', 'Levante', 'Maestrale', 'Scirocco'.

Above the whole diagram is a collapsible support for a wind-vane in the form of a banner.

Anthony J. Turner

Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Firenze
Inventory no. 2488

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