Terrestrial and celestial globes; their history and ... - 24grammata.com

Third Quarter of the Sixteenth Century.
have ever seen or heard of." "Until a few years since
no one knew how to print such globes, and all were made
with pen and brush, . . . later geniuses have found a way
for printing globe maps very accurately, which, in a wonder-
ful way they can place over the surface of a sphere ; a way
has also been found for making the spheres round and exact,
and a method for computing measurements for the coverings
to fit the sphere, and for the construction of such other
5>17
things as belong thereto
The Volpaja family of Florence achieved considerable
distinction in the late fifteenth and in the sixteenth century,
through those members who were interested in the construction
of astronomical instruments and particularly in
armillary spheres. Vasari tells us that "in the chapel of
Santa Trinita, in fresco, is a picture of the Magnificent
Lorenzo de' Medici, father of Pope Leo X. ... In the same
picture is Lorenzo della Volpaja, a most excellent master
in the art of making watches, and a distinguished astrologer,
by whom a most beautiful clock was made for Lorenzo de'
Medici, which the most illustrious Duke Cosimo now has in
his palace, and wherein all of the movements of the planets
are perpetually shown by means of wheels, a very rare
thing, and the first that was made in that manner."^^
At the time of its founding there came to the Museo
di Strumenti Antichi di Astronomia e di Fisica of Flor-
ence a fine armillary sphere inscribed "Hieronimus Camilli
Vulpariae Florent: fe: 1557." It is of gilded metal, having
five spheres or rings ranging from 60 to 75 mm. in diameter,
and in addition eighteen circles, including polar, tropical,
and equatorial circles with meridian and horizon, the latter
having a diameter of 144 mm. Further information recorded
by Fiorini tells us that it is mounted on a wooden base."
On the equatorial circle of the smallest sphere is engraved
"Deferens Augiem," on the next, "Deferens Epiciculum,"
on the third, "Deferens Augiem," on the fourth, "Deferens
Dragonem." The fifth sphere is composed of six large cir-
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