Rare compass with engraved brass and silver handle,... Lot 169

Rare compass with engraved brass and silver handle, glass dial, in leather case gilded with leafy motifs. Compass rose in a square box with letters indicating their names and cardinal points: P (Ponente), T (Tramontana), L (Levante), M (Mezzogiorno), as well as the intermediate directions M (Maestro, Northwest), G (Grecale, Northeast), S (Scirocco, Southeast) and C (Libeccio, Southwest) surrounded by a 360-degree scale engraved four times 0-90; magnetic needle mounted on a central pivot; dial signed, located and dated Amicino Ravizza / Cremona 1809. Lombardy, Cremona, Amicino Ravizza, early 19th century, 1809 Box: 14.5 x 15 cm - Total L. 44.2 cm (minor wear, slight accidents and missing case) Amicino Ravizza (Cremona 1757-1815) was an Italian mathematician, clockmaker, cosmographer and manufacturer of astronomical instruments, active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Until his death, he held the chair of higher mathematics at the Royal Gymnasium in Cremona. Renowned for his expertise in precision mechanics and watchmaking, Ravizza played a significant role in maintaining and improving the clock on Cremona's emblematic Torrazzo tower. From 1787 to 1804, he inspected, maintained and repaired the clock's complex mechanisms, modifying the calculation time originally conceived with a six o'clock repetition by two times twelve hours. His work contributed to the preservation of this historic and technical monument, ensuring its longevity and reinforcing Cremona's reputation in the field of precision watchmaking.