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

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<strong>Terrestrial</strong> <strong>and</strong> Celestial Globes.<br />

is placed the Spanish coat of arms. The remaining twelve<br />

represent the following named provinces : Terra di Lavorro,<br />

Principato Citra, Principato Ultra, Basilicata, Calabria<br />

Citra, Calabria Ultra, Terra d'Otranto, Terra di Bari, Capitanata,<br />

Contado di Molise, Abruzzo Citra, Abruzzo Ultra.<br />

Cartaro's <strong>globes</strong> are of solid wood about 16 cm. in diameter,<br />

the balls being covered with engraved gore maps. On<br />

his <strong>celestial</strong> <strong>globes</strong> appears the inscription, "Marius Cartarus<br />

Viterbensis Autor incidebat Romae cil priv. 1577." The<br />

twelve or rather twenty-four half gores, since they are cut on<br />

the line of the ecliptic, are copper engraved. The equator,<br />

the tropics, the polar circles, <strong>and</strong> the colures are represented,<br />

the ecliptic <strong>and</strong> the equator being graduated, the degrees be-<br />

ing alternately colored red <strong>and</strong> yellow. The several constellations<br />

are well drawn, are colored yellow with shading, <strong>and</strong><br />

st<strong>and</strong> out prominently against a blue background represent-<br />

ing the sky. His terrestrial <strong>globes</strong> bear the inscription<br />

"Marius Cartarus Viterbensis Autor incidebat Romae MD-<br />

LXXVII cum privilegio," the gores being divided, as in the<br />

preceding, into twenty-four. Meridians <strong>and</strong> parallels are<br />

drawn at intervals of fifteen degrees, alternate degrees being<br />

colored red <strong>and</strong> yellow, the prime meridian passing through<br />

the Canary Isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> being graduated. In the Osservatorio<br />

del Collegio Romano may be found two copies of the celes-<br />

tial <strong>and</strong> one example of the terrestrial globe, one of the<br />

former once belonging to the astronomer, Virgilio Spada, <strong>and</strong><br />

later to the Biblioteca Vallicelliana. Neither of these <strong>globes</strong><br />

is well preserved, the original mountings are wanting, <strong>and</strong><br />

each rests on a base of wood which has been merely designed<br />

to serve as a support.<br />

A copy of the <strong>celestial</strong> globe may be found in the Museo<br />

di Strumenti Antichi of Florence, which was presented to<br />

the museum by the Gr<strong>and</strong> Duke Leopold I. This example is<br />

reported to be in good condition, being mounted on a base of<br />

wood, <strong>and</strong> having a horizon <strong>and</strong> a meridian circle of wood,<br />

both of which are graduated. On the horizon appear the<br />

[ 168 ]<br />

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