Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 1: Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and Astronomy — John Shaqi
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 1: Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and AstronomyStevenson, Edward Luther
History
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 1: Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and Astronomy
Stevenson, Edward Luther
Geography -- History; Globes
The globe of Pope Julius II, in question, must then have been
constructed prior to 1505, seeing this to be the year of the
correspondence to which reference has been made above. From the
partial description given in the letters we are led to the conclusion
that they were not engraved metal globes, but their maps were
manuscript, and were well decorated by hand. The Vatican Museum is still
in possession of a celestial globe which may well be one of those once
belonging to Pope Julius II, the terrestrial globe having disappeared.
From the interesting description of Denza[131] we learn that this
remaining one is a hollow wooden ball, 95 cm. in diameter. That there
might be an even surface on which to draw the star map, a covering of
plaster had been provided, 4 mm. in thickness. It is furnished with a
somewhat elaborate base, ornamented with sphinxes with the heads of
eagles and the feet of lions. Its horizon circle, supported by four
quarter circles, is a band 5 cm. wide, the surface of which is divided
into five concentric circles, within which are the names of the several
signs of the zodiac in Latin, the names of the days of the month, and
the names of the eight principal winds in the Italian language. Along
the outer edge of this horizon circle is the following inscription,
“Daniel Chassignet. Fecit. Romae 1617,” a name and date clearly applying
only to this circle or to the globe’s mounting. It has a meridian circle
within which the sphere revolves. On the surface of the ball we find
represented the principal circles, that is, the equator, the tropics,
the polar circles, with five meridians, and the ecliptic, its twelve
signs being represented in gilded characters. The coat of arms, painted
near the south pole, is not that of Pope Julius II, but of Cardinal Gian
Stefano Ferrero, Bishop of Bologna, who became a supporter of Juliani
della Rovere in his candidacy for the papal office, and to which office
he was elected, becoming known as Julius II. Fiorini thinks it probable
that the globe was presented by Cardinal Ferrero to the Pope, and that
while in his possession the coat of arms was painted on its surface. It
is indeed not improbable that it was originally constructed for the
Cardinal. Contrary to the opinion of Denza, Fiorini’s conclusion is
that the decoration of the globe is not to be attributed to Giulio
Romano, a distinguished pupil of Raphael, and the arguments presented
seem acceptable.[132]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account