Museo Galileo
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Virtual Museum
"Radio latino"
    • Setting:
      Room VI
    • Inventor:
      Latino Orsini
    • Maker:
      unknown
    • Place:
      Italian
    • Date:
      late 16th cent.
    • Materials:
      brass
    • Dimensions:
      length 440 mm
    • Inventory:
      647
    • "Radio latino" (Inv. 647)

The radio latino (named after its inventor, Latino Orsini) was used to measure distances, heights, and depths by means of rangefinding operations. For this purpose, it is fitted with four jointed rods forming a kite. The rods slide on the central rod and are inscribed with several measurement scales such as the shadow square and the degree scale. The viewer fitted on the joints for rangefinding operations are missing. The instrument, from the Medici collections, is portrayed on the ceiling of the Stanzino delle Matematiche in the Uffizi.