on December 27, 1722, Bertolla received a certificate 

 from the Corporation of Blacksmiths which assured 

 whomever it might concern of Bertolla's skill, dili- 

 gence and honesty, and permitted him to open his 

 own shop as a clockmaker under the auspices of the 

 Corporation. This document, which has been pre- 

 served by Bertolla's descendants, is an interesting 

 record of the organization of the- trade guilds in the 

 18th century, and. for that reason, has been translated 

 from the original German: 



We, the Superiors and other masters ol the honorable 

 corporation of municipal blacksmhhs. armorers, and of 

 smiihs. in the Imperial Ciiv of St. Polten in Austria 

 by the river Fains. Declare by these Presents put in 

 by this document to anyone who waits to hear .... 

 Thai the honorable and able Bartolomeo Antonio 

 Berk hi a of Rumo in Lentzberg, the fyrol, on the 27th 

 day of the month of December of the year 1719 was 

 consigned as apprentice for three years, in the presence 

 of two sponsoring masters for the purpose, the honorable 

 Johann Christian Winz and Peter Wisshofer, both of 

 diem master locksmiths representing the entire honorable 

 Corporation and others of open shop — to the honorable 



JOHANN GEORO BuTZJAOER, UlCOl '] 101 'a led with lis, 



citizen and master clockmaker for large clocks in the 

 merchant-village of Neulengbach in Wienerwald, as 



his master of the art, would have therefore perfectly 

 and rightfully worked and learned, and 



that afterwards, on the day and year noted at the 

 bottom, he will be newly declared free and independent 

 before us, representative of an entire and honorable 

 Corporation and with open shop, of his above-mentioned 

 master and of the two sponsoring masters mentioned, 



ami since he eagerly requested a truthful eertifn ate 

 of apprenticeship for his honest service as an apprentice 

 and for his good behavior, and we having great pleasure 

 as well as the duty of favoring the I null and well knowing 

 that the aforesaid Bartolomeo Antonio Bertolla has 

 learned honestly the art of clockmaking for great I lot ks 

 from his aforesaid master, and that he has always 

 behaved with honesty, obedience, faithfulness and 

 diligence both towards his master and towards us io 

 our complete satisfaction and, therefore, we cannot in 

 .m\ manner refuse his request, rather we wish to gram 

 it with a clear conscience. 



Wi [Therefore Address to Everyone and to 

 anyone in whatever state and rank, but particularly to 

 those interested in our branch of this art, our respectful 

 and courteous entreaty and request to consider Bar- 

 TOL0ME0 ANTONIO Bertolla well recommended for his 

 honest apprenticeship and his good behavior, and to 

 desire to favor him in every way. in such a manner that 

 will assure our gratitude whenevei an occasion presents 

 itself. 



For this purpose, we issue, as we have declared we wish 

 to issue to you, Bartolomeo Antonio Bertolla, this 

 certificate ol apprenticeship, attaching to it the seal of 

 our Cot potation. 

 Executed in the city of St. Polten on 27 Decembei 



His apprenticeship over, Bertolla returned to his 



native region where he soon established a reputation 

 for himself as one ol the most skillful clockmakers in 

 the Tridentina and produced timepieces of fine 

 quality in some quantity, No records have survived 



concerning his personal life, but it is believed that he 

 married probably soon alter his return. He had no 

 children of his own. To expand his business, be 

 eventually took into his shop two nephews, the sons of 

 ,1 brother and a sister, as apprentices. 



Bertolla's work brought him a sufficient number of 

 clients, and he produced elaborate clocks for his more 

 wealthy patrons. 



In 1752, it is recorded that he repaired the 

 clock in the campanile of the Church of the Assump- 

 tion of the Virgin Mary in Cles, the regional capital 

 of the valley of the Non. The clock dated probabl) 

 from the 1 6th century, and it seems likely that Bertolla 

 replaced the original two-wheel train with a three- 

 wheel movement, and that he added the present 

 anchor escapement. 13 



It is not possible to determine when father Borghesi 

 first made Bertolla's acquaintance, but it may be as- 

 sumed that they had become friends in the late 1 750's. 



Alter he had come to know Bertolla. Father Borghesi 

 apparently spent many hours in the clockmaker's 

 shop. He was fascinated by mechanics in any form, 

 and the complications of clockwork particularly in- 

 trigued him. Bertolla was patient with the young 

 priest . explaining the tools he had and their uses, the 

 clocks he produced or repaired, and the principles 

 which were involved, lather Borghesi listened will- 

 ingly and as his understanding of timepieces grew, 

 his curiousity increased. 



In spite of himself, the priest could not be satisfied 

 with the ordinary aspects of his friend's work and 

 wanted to learn more. From a casual pastime, the 

 study of time became an obsession with him. There 

 was but one recourse: he went back to studying 

 again. This time it was not theology, however, but 

 the sciences. Every moment he could spare went into 

 the perusal of books on mathematics, astronomy, and 



'- Ibid., p. 22. 



» II.., I., p. 23. 



PAPER 35: THE BORGHESI ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK 



37 



