At 07.28 18/06/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Are they numbered from sunrise, with sunrise=0, one hour later as 1 >two hours since sunrise as 2 etc? > The Babilonian hours start their count from the sunrise, and end it at the next sunrise, so you can number the sunrise line (orizontal) with 0 or 24 as you like, it's up to you. >Italian hours. I understand these to be the hours until sunset. >I would take these to also be 1/24 of a day in length. Is sunset=0 >and one hour before sunset=1, etc? > Italian hours start their count at the sunset, and end it at the next sunset, so the sunset line(orizontal)could be numbered 0 or 24 as you like, but the rule is always number 24. As Daniel Roth already wrote you, in Italy there was another little different way to count them, starting a half hour after sunset, exactly when the bells stroke the "Ave Maria". This was a new way, taking place around the begining of XVIII century, and was called "ora da Campanile" (hour for bell-tower) because it was used especially in civil time. Mario Arnaldi ====================== MARIO ARNALDI Viale Leonardo, 82 48020 Lido Adriano RA ITALY [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------
