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Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 27th, 2003, 12:29 AM
Keeger
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

The Florence Photo Ops question reminded me of a curious architectural
item I photographed on a building on the Ponte Vecchio in 1999. It
looks like a satellite dish, but was made of stone. Here's a link to
the photo. Anybody know what this is/was?
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...4664wwmznHlWNN

K
  #2  
Old September 27th, 2003, 02:59 AM
quiqueg
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

Keeger wrote in
:

. Anybody know what this is/was?


Renaissance satellite dish.
Or did you think in the XV century we just sat and watched paintings ?



qqg
  #3  
Old September 27th, 2003, 04:28 AM
Ron Audet
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)


Looks like a sundial to me.


  #4  
Old September 27th, 2003, 02:29 PM
Mason Barge
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 03:28:48 GMT, "Ron Audet"
wrote:


Looks like a sundial to me.

Looks like a sundial to me, too.


Mason Barge

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
-- Abraham Lincoln
  #5  
Old September 27th, 2003, 03:36 PM
Keeger
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

"Ron Audet" wrote:


Looks like a sundial to me.


I considered that, but it's pointing in a certain direction.
Not much use when the sun was behind it.

K
  #6  
Old September 27th, 2003, 08:23 PM
Debra Weber Kurt Weber
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

a calender?

Keeger wrote:

"Ron Audet" wrote:


Looks like a sundial to me.


I considered that, but it's pointing in a certain direction.
Not much use when the sun was behind it.

K


  #7  
Old September 27th, 2003, 08:32 PM
N! Xau
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)


"quiqueg" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Keeger wrote in
:

. Anybody know what this is/was?


Renaissance satellite dish.
Or did you think in the XV century we just sat and watched paintings ?


qqg, actually that is a radar, projected and built from Lorenzo il Magnifico
in the late XVI century to prevent air attack from Pisa in the strategic
central area of Florence called, as you know, Ovonda.

regards
N! Xau


  #8  
Old September 27th, 2003, 09:14 PM
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

Well, actually, that is not quite right. It's Lorenzo's Weapon of Mass
Destruction. Georgie Bush and Filed Marshall RuinedWelt are developing a
time machine in preparation for YAPS (yet another preemptive strike).

Paul


"N! Xau" wrote in message
...

"quiqueg" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Keeger wrote in
:

. Anybody know what this is/was?


Renaissance satellite dish.
Or did you think in the XV century we just sat and watched paintings ?


qqg, actually that is a radar, projected and built from Lorenzo il

Magnifico
in the late XVI century to prevent air attack from Pisa in the strategic
central area of Florence called, as you know, Ovonda.

regards
N! Xau




  #9  
Old September 28th, 2003, 02:14 AM
Ron Audet
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

Aren't all sundials in fixed positions? They are aimed to catch the sun
during as many daylight hours as possible.That is true, anyway, of all the
later (eighteenth century) ones we see in Williamsburg and other parts of
Virginia.


"Debra Weber Kurt Weber" wrote in message
...
a calender?

Keeger wrote:

"Ron Audet" wrote:


Looks like a sundial to me.


I considered that, but it's pointing in a certain direction.
Not much use when the sun was behind it.

K




  #10  
Old October 1st, 2003, 10:43 AM
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Default Ponte Vecchio - Whatsit? (was: Florence Photo Ops)

In article ,
(Keeger) wrote:

The Florence Photo Ops question reminded me of a curious architectural
item I photographed on a building on the Ponte Vecchio in 1999. It
looks like a satellite dish, but was made of stone. Here's a link to
the photo. Anybody know what this is/was?
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...4664wwmznHlWNN

A sundial, as others have said, but obviously moved from its original
position (it's pretty useless where it stands! unless, conceivably,
there was at some point a roof terrace extending from the right-hand side
of the pictured building).

I don't pretend to understand the science behind this, but I do believe
that sundials need to be angled when they are used in a latitude other
than that for which they were designed, and that may be a factor here.

Because of its height, I'd hazard a guess that the column may have been
built (elsewhere) for some other purpose before being adapted to use as a
sundial.
 




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