Brahe's description of Uraniborg, f. 41r

Commentary
Brahe's description of Uraniborg, f. 41r

Translation

EXPLANATION OF THE DESIGN OF URANIBORG WITH ALL ITS PREMISES

As FREDERICK II, of glorious memory, King of Denmark and Norway, etc., who in valour, magnanimity, and unselfishness was second to none, he who ten years ago, to the intense grief not only of Denmark and his subjects, but also of the neighbouring countries, passed away in his fifty­fourth year, although he had verily deserved a longer life, if it had so been God's will, ­ as this excellent King, I say, besides his other heroic virtues had a truly free and open eye for the free sciences and had realized that among these Astronomy holds a first place and had also always been highly esteemed by the greatest monarchs and kings, many of whom have won glory by occupying themselves with it and thus have obtained no small lasting renown, he considered it a good deed that it also was cultivated and nursed in his realm. When, therefore, he had learnt that I was working for its renewal and from my youth for many years had trained myself in this art, so that in order to be able to continue my work and carry it on to the desired goal I had made up my mind to leave my native country and go to Germany, where I thought I could find more peace and better conditions for the study of this art, he summoned me to him and in his gracious kindness encouraged me to do the same in Denmark; and of his own accord he offered me the island of Venusia (which, as said above, is called Hven in Danish), which is situated in the busy thoroughfare of the Danish Sound, and by his royal grace gave me an opportunity to devote myself to these celestial studies. On other occasions, too, I have made a habit of mentioning and commemorating the decisions made by this King, who can never be sufficiently praised, since in this way he has deserved well not only of me, but of the whole astronomical science. Therefore all future times, which, it is to be hoped, will benefit from it, ought in gratitude to praise the name of this noble and excellent King.

When thus according to the decision and gracious wish of this unique King I was to erect buildings which with their solidity and magnificent equipment were suitable for astronomical work, I chose the site highest on this island, which in itself is prominent, practically in its centre, where I started building from its foundations a castle which was named after the heaven itself in which it was its task to make observations, and hence called Uraniborg; and having started the work in the year 1576 I finished it during the following years. You see here a picture of the castle showing its whole appearance and area, in so far as it was possible to represent it in a plane.As to the details to be explained in this design, the facts are as follows, in so far as it is possible to denote each piece with letters put in various places: A. The main building erected exactly in the centre of the area and with its four sides, which form a regular square, exactly facing the four points of the sky, so that the two small towers face the south and the north, and the two gates the east and the west. E. The eastern gate, built of rough stones in the Tuscan manner. D. The western gate, made of the same material. On top of these two gates there were two big English watchdogs in kennels of a suitable size, in order that with their barks they might announce the arrival of people from any direction. B. A printing­house, which in a way reminded of the shape of the big house on a small scale. C. A small house for the servants. This, too, with its gables and otherwise, resembled the big house. F. The inside of the wall. G. Its outside with its shaping. N. Four roads leading to the two gates and the two small houses and directed exactly towards the four points of the sky. O. Four doors leading to the garden. M. Four pavilions, which for the sake of ornament have been placed inside the semicircular walls. L. Herbaries and flowergardens. H. Gardens with about three hundred trees of various species, etc. - This is the description of the whole area. The circumference of the wall is square, although so that each side is interrupted in the middle by a semicircular bend, as may be seen in the picture in front. Each of the sides of the square measures three hundred feet. The wall is twenty feet in breadth below, and is twenty­two feet high, and the inside diameter of the semicircular wall measures ninety feet. The house in the centre, which also, as said above, is of an exactly square form, on each side measures nearly sixty feet, the wall is forty­five feet high. But the round towers added in the south and the north are twenty­two feet in diameter, to which should be added ten feet for the galleries encircling them. The square portals on the eastern and western sides measure below fifteen feet in each direction. The complete height of the house from the ground to the Pegasus at the very top amounts to seventy­five feet. Further, the house itself in its whole extent is provided with a basement twelve feet deep. And below this there is even something else. But as all this is underground, it has not been represented here, although it includes many varied rooms and has been arranged for various purposes, and it has also required great expenditure for its building, hardly less than the part of the house above ground in the open. I shall now add a more detailed design and description of the main building in the centre, in order that everything can be shown with greater clearness, and there I shall also present some of the subterranean parts and the cellars, in so far as this is possible, and in so far as I can in any way depict such things in a plane. For an enumeration of all the works carried out here, not only underground, but also what can be seen from the outside, although it is nearly incredible that this house will contain such heterogeneous things, would be too prolix, and, indeed, there might be those who would find it tedious.

You house dedicated to Urania, renowned beacon, 
Erected in a high place and fortified with walls, 
Surrounded by trees and lawns in your gardens, 
You, who in three times seven years have investigated all Stars, 
while lifting your majestic head towards the Olymp 
- Do you now stand unheeded? Do you stand silently and have been deserted? 
Perhaps it was so decided by the High Powers watching god-¬inspired thoughts.
In order that the great tasks shall not be confined within narrow barriers 
They stir up everything earthly and have it changed in every manner. 
Glory be to you alone who governs the rotation of the heavens and the stars.