Meridian in the Cathedral in Acireale, Sicily, Italy
Posted by: 
arby101ca
N 37° 36.777 E 015° 09.976
33S E 514674 N 4162886
In the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata is a meridian noon mark designed and built in 1843 by the Danish astronomer Frederik Christian Peters. The meridian is 16.452 meters long and the hole projecting a spot of sunlight is 9.104 m high.
Waymark Code: WMW5P7
Location: Sicilia, Italy
Date Posted: 07/12/2017
Views: 3
The meridian is laid out due north and south at an angle of 72° from the center aisle of the cathedral. It stretches across the transept from the chapel of Santa Venera to the Sacristy. The gnomon hole is in the roof of the chapel. There are three black lines along the axis of the meridian marking the edges and center of the sun spot. The gnomon spot projects as an ellipse with a major axis that varies from 18.2 cm on the winter solstice to 9 cm The zodiac signs carved by Carlo Cali from Catania are inlaid in the marble. At the north end is the goat fish of Capricorn and the south is the crab of Cancer. The other signs are along the sides marking the date and position of the sun.
Also displayed were educational facts, like the obliquity 23°27'36", the latitude 37°36'33.5" and the units the five measurements of length in use at the time. These included the international meter, Parisian feet 97.7 cm in 3 units, the English yard in 3 feet 91.44 cm, the Sicilian Palm, 103.24 cm and Neopalitan Palm, both in 4 units. These meridians were installed to educate the public during this time of change from Italian hours based on sunset to French hours based on noon and the metric system of weights and measures.
Earlier Peters worked with the German astronomer, Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen to create a large meridian in the Benedictine monastery Church of St. Nicholas Arena in nearby Catania. This has a length 40 m and the gnomon height of 23.917 m. See waymark WMVDM1.
A total of eight meridians have been built in Sicily mostly in churches. These are at the following locations:
Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata of Acireale,
Technical School Director of Caltanissetta,
Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Castiglione di Sicilia,
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assumption of Castroreale,
Church of St. Nicholas Arena di Catania,
Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Virgin Mary of the Assumption of Messina,
Cathedral of San Giorgio of Modica,
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption of Palermo.
A total of at least 74 such meridians were built in Italy. So many sundials, so little time!
Sundial Type: Other
Related Web Site: Not listed
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