WALL INSCRIPTIONS, CALENZANO ALTO, ITALY
Tag: Calenzano Alto
STONE PATTERNS, MAZES, MOSAICS and TILES
TWO STONE CLOTH MEASURES, ITALY
RIMINI – COMMUNAL MEASURING STONE dated 1544 (used in particular for fabrics). A very sophisticated multi-measurement example. See below for a rustic one.
CALENZANO ALTA – a simple cloth measure incised in side-stone of an archway. This standard medieval length is known as a “Braccio”, an arm’s length.
VENICE, GRAND CANAL – STONEWORK DETAIL on a quayside wall
The complete fragment, tastefully set off by a drainpipe
CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF ST DENIS (Paris) – PAINTED FLOOR TILE
TWO ITALIAN MAZES
1. MAZE IN THE ENTRANCE PORCH OF THE DUOMO S. MARTINO, LUCCA
This maze is embedded in the right pier of the portico and is believed to date from the 12th century or 13th century. Its importance is that it may well pre-date the famous Chartres maze, yet is of the Chartres pattern that became a standard for mazes. The attractive and rustic incised Latin inscription refers to ancient pagan mythology: “This is the labyrinth built by Dedalus of Crete; all who entered therein were lost, save Theseus, thanks to Ariadne’s thread.”
HIC QUEM CRETICUS EDIT
DAEDALUS EST LABERINTHUS
DE QUO NULLUS VADERE
QUIVIT QUI FUIT INTUS
NI THESEUS GRATIS ADRIANE
STAMINE JUTUS
2. BASILICA DI S. VITALE, RAVENNA – LARGE FLOOR MAZE
Both these maze images are now featured in the excellent and fascinating maze website at MAZES & LABYRINTHS This site covers the history of mazes, with prolific examples both photographic and diagrammatic, and a multitude of links to other maze-related material. Once you start in there, you may never find your way out…
RAVENNA- BASILICA DI S. VITALE Small Floor Mosaic
SHERBORNE, DORSET: MASONIC EMBLEM ON THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE (1896)
STONE PLAQUES FROM EITHER SIDE OF A RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER THE HIGH PEAK RAILWAY, DERBYSHIRE (NOW DE-COMMISSIONED AND OPERATING AS THE TISSINGTON TRAIL FOR CYCLISTS & WALKERS) 
CALENZANO ALTO’S ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL, ITALY
This excellent analemmatic sundial is installed in the square at the very top of the small medieval town of Calenzano Alto, which perches on a hill above the major industrial sprawl and motorway network of the Arno plain between Prato and Florence.
The sundial takes up a substantial area of the large piazza, and consists of a central sun/moon stone mosaic with radiating ‘sight’ lines to small brass plates numbered from VI to XVIII (in fact number VI is missing, the rest are there). The gnomon is the person who stands at the centre of the sun. There are no buildings close enough to obstruct the sun’s light, so on a sunny or even a bright day, the time can be easily told at least approximately… were it not for the cars that are normally parked all over the square!
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 