Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 2: 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 2: 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 celestial globe, similar in its construction in practically every
respect to the preceding, has its system of circles represented
according to the equatorial system instead of the ecliptic system. All
of the Ptolemaic constellations are represented, the figures of the
several constellations being very artistically painted. Its dedication
reads, “Ill̄mo ac Rev̄mo D. D. Petro Hieronymo Caravadossi Episcopo
Casalensi Ordinis Praedicatorum parvum hoc Firmamentum dicatum a F.
Petro Maria de Vinchio Ord. Min. Stric. Obser. operis auctor. 1745.”
“Dedicated to the Illustrious and Reverend D. D. Peter Hieronymus
Caravadossi Bishop of Casale of the Preaching Friars, by Fra. Peter
Maria de Vinchio of the Strict Minorite Order, who is the author of this
work, in the year 1745.” The pair just described may be found in the
Biblioteca Seminario Maggiore of Casale Monferrato. Fiorini is of the
opinion that these globes, presented to the learned Father Pietro
Girolamo Caravadossi of the Preaching Friars, Bishop of Casale, must
have been given by him to the seminary library, that they might serve in
the education of the priests. It is even probable that the two globes
came to the library by a direct clause in the will of the bishop, since
it is known that he bequeathed to the same library all of his books and
an annual sum, that the library might be used not only by the members of
the seminary but by the general public as well.
Not long after the completion of the pair just described, da Vinchio
undertook the construction of a second and larger pair. These he began
in the year 1746 and completed in the year 1751. These globes have a
diameter of about 105 cm. Like the preceding they are of papier-mâché.
Each is furnished with a meridian and a horizon circle of wood, and a
somewhat elaborate supporting base. On the parchment covering of the
spheres the maps have been drawn by hand. On the terrestrial globe the
meridians and the parallels are represented at intervals of ten degrees.
Place names, the names of the seas and of the rivers are in the Italian
language or in the language of the country claiming possession. Very
many of the discoveries are referred to in appropriate legends. The
title and date legend reads “D. O. M. Globus terraqueus Juxta
geographicas mappas novissime editas accurate descriptus, in quibus,
exactiori observatione praemissa, longitudinum, latitudinumque punctis
verius universe compertis, errores multiplices sunt emendati, qui in
veteri geographia detinebantur impressi. Inferius scripti mens, labor,
ars, et opus. F. Petrus Maria a Vinchio. In Conventu S. M. de Templo
Casalis annis 1746-1747-1748.” “D. O. M. Terrestrial globe accurately
described according to the latest geographical maps in which by a more
exact observation and by a truer location of the points of longitude and
latitude many errors have been corrected which continued to be printed
in the old geographies. What follows is the work and labor of Fra. Peter
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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