(Not Really) A Renaissance Polyhedral Sundial
Probably a 19th century copy of the Renaissance original,
made in Nuremberg by David Beringer

The Renaissance dial is Attributed to Stefano Buonsignori
Grand Ducal Cosmographer to Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici


The dial in the Museum of the History of Science, Florence
My dial
Compare the two dials in closeups
Compare the two dials in large closeups

Here is a link to the Epact page where I originally "discovered"
this sundial. Click on "Details"

Photos of the dial faces (all approx. 35k)
The top
From the south west
From the southeast
From the north

I don't think anyone would contend that Buonsignori personally made either of these dials, but he designed them for manufacture in his workshop - which might have employed a number of workmen and apprentices. 16th Century Florence was a center of scientific interest, and a paper-on-wood sundial such as this one could be sold inexpensively.

Here is a link to a brief biography of Stefano Buonsignori. At the bottom of the page are links to other instruments in the Epact online collection which were made by him. All of them are in the The Institute and Museum of the History of Science ,Florence

Here is another biography

The Medici family tree showing when Bounsignori was active

Stefano Buonsignori worked in Florence and died there in 1589, 25 years after Michaelangelo's death in 1564 and 70 years after Leonardo da Vinci's in 1519. There is a street named after him in Florence.

Buonsignori was also a cartographer and published a "semiperspectival" map of Florence. Here are some links to pages about the map [Link One]   [Link Two]   [Link Three]   [More Maps]

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