Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 28
The base of the gnomon has a long inscription describing its purpose and history, as
well as verses from the Psalms. Part of the inscription has been neatly excised by French
revolutionaries who removed references to royalty and aristocrats. They respected the scien-
tific function of the instrument, and left untouched the picture of the Lamb of God (right) and
the decoration (left) of astronomical and mathematical instruments, intertwined with foliage
and a snake
