Andiamo! Citalia Magazine Winter 2023

Pincio Water Clock, Rome
Time Will Tell:
Italy's Timepieces
It would be remiss of us to not mention Italy’s heritage with time-telling in our
Go Slow edition. Discover Italy’s historical clocks and calendars, and their unique stories.
Our human fascination to tell the time is, frankly, a tale as old as time.
Today, time measuring instruments come in all shapes and sizes, but
originally civilisation relied on rudimentary sundials and water clocks,
which were then preceded by the hourglass and fully mechanised clocks.
It was Tuscany’s own 16th century grandfather of time, Galileo Galilei,
who identified the principle of the pendulum, which altered European
clocks for centuries after. In the north, under the Dolomites of Friuli
on the Swiss border lies Pesariis, a secluded ‘village of clocks’, where
clockmakers have congregated over the decades, and where a route of
monumental watch-making, an open-air museum if you will, holds over
100 different timepieces.
While often forgotten in the daily lives of our modern
world, astronomical clocks were the common cogs of
everyday life for centuries, and you’ll find many still
ticking away across Italy.
Astronomical clocks are works of art, often beautifully sculpted
and part of grand architectural feats, and they represent not only
chronological time but also more esoteric factors, such as the
movements of the sun, planets, and phases of the moon, as well
as their position in the sky. Discover a world of timekeeping - and
unwinding - with us!
Pincio Water Clock, Rome
Looming out of the trees on a little island within the gardens of Rome’s
Villa Borghese lies an unusual and rare grandfather clock. Reached
by a rickety wooden bridge, it could be straight out of J. M. Barrie’s
Neverland. Known as a hydrochronometer, this late 19th century clock
is forged out of cast iron and glass, and uses a hydraulic system where
the force of water both continuously winds the clock and keeps the
pendulum moving. It’s named after the Terrazza del Pincio, just a short
walk away.
The water clock was invented by Embriaco, a Dominican monk who
had to challenge Catholic institutions who didn’t favour his scientific
advances. The clock was sent to Paris to be showcased at the 1867
Universal Exhibition, however the organisers struggled to get it working
without the friar’s help.
The clock has been part of a larger fountain feature in the gardens since
1873, and it accurately ticks away 24/7, which is no mean feat given
that changes in water temperature can affect the speed mechanisms. It
underwent a major restoration for several years before being returned to
its rightful place in 2022. A second water clock by Embriaco also exists in
Rome’s Palazzo Berardi.
Suggested Stay: Hotel Nazionale, Rome
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