Brahe's description of Uraniborg, f. 42r
Commentary
DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE LARGE MAIN BUILDING
The erection of the large main building of Uraniborg was begun by me in the year 1576. Its foundation stone was laid by the Right Honourable Mr. CHARLES DANÇAY, for many years Envoy to Denmark of the Most Serene and Potent King of France, a man who, as regards integrity, skill, and practical experience was second to none and who further was closely familiar with the free sciences and finally, as long as he was alive (for he died eight years ago in his eightyfirst year), constantly regarded me with a singular love and always to the greatest extent looked after me and my affairs. As soon as he learnt that this house was to be built, he offered of his own accord to lay the first cornerstone there, and later he had the following inscription carved on a porphyry stone:
When Frederick II reigned in Denmark, Charles Dançay, the Aquitanian, Envoy to Denmark of the King of France, in this house, which in accordance with the King's will was built by Tycho Brahe, the Nobleman, of Knudstrup to serve science, and particularly the study of the stars, had this votive stone laid down, which is to serve as a memorial and be a happy omen. In the year 1576, 8th of August.
When the day approached determined for the laying of the foundationstone, the Excellent Dançay arrived, accompanied by several noblemen besides by some learned men among our common friends to attend this performance, and on the 8th of August in the morning, when the rising sun together with Jupiter was in the heart of Leo, while the moon was in the western heavens in Aquarius, he laid this stone in the presence of all of us, having first consecrated it with wine of various kinds and praying for good fortune in every respect, in which he was joined by the surrounding friends. This stone was laid in the eastern corner of the house towards the southeast, as denoted in the above picture by the letter F. Then the building of the whole house was commenced and after some years it was finished, although in the meantime not a few or insignificant difficulties and delays occurred, which are not worth being mentioned any more. But the design of the house added here is explained as follows: A. The eastern door, executed according to the Ionic and Doric orders. B. The winter diningroom. F. The mentioned foundationstone, which was laid by the abovementioned French Envoy. G and H. Basement windows. C. Spare bedroom; facing the west there are two similar rooms. M. Study and library. L. Subterranean, round chemical laboratory, containing sixteen different furnaces for chemical use. I. Aperture through which coals are shot for use in the chemical works. Z. Wood cellar. q. Kitchen. D. Chamber called the red one. a. A yellow octagonal chamber. E. The blue chamber. Facing the west and corresponding to these there is a larger summer diningroom painted green, the ceiling of which is decorated with paintings of the principal plants. From here it is possible, particularly in summer, to enjoy the view of a large number of ships passing. X. Windows in the upper storey. O. The larger, southern observatory containing several of the large and important astronomical instruments, particularly the azimuthal semicircle, the Ptolemaic rulers, the brass sextant with which to measure altitudes and the medium brass azimuthal quadrant, which instruments are depicted and described each in its place, viz. sub nos. 8, 9, 4, 3, the sequence in which they are enumerated here to be similarly understood in what follows, if necessary. P. [The letter P is not seen in the figure. This is the case for some of the following letters, too]. A globe upon which an instrument is placed when stellar distances are to be measured, in order that it may serve as support for it, so that the instrument resting upon it can be turned in every direction, as indicated above with the sextant sub no. 16. Corresponding to this there is a similar one on the western side. Q. An octagonal gallery on which the abovementioned globe is placed. N. The smaller southern observatory containing the equatorial armillae, which are made completely of brass and denoted as no. 13. W. Stairs down to the laboratory and up to the observatory. R. The larger northern observatory, which is also full of a number of large instruments, viz. rulers or the larger parallatic instrument of brass, which also showed azimuths on a wall running round it, as explained sub no. 10. In the same tower also were the sextant measuring distances by one single observer, and the bipartite arc and the instrument which at one time had been useful in the observations of the new star. These three instruments have been described above sub nos. 17, 15, and 18. In the same place was also kept a parallatic instrument made of wood, which was formerly used by the great Copernicus and sent to me as a present from Ermeland, which I have mentioned in the place in question. S. The smaller, northern observatory, which contains the other instrument with equatorial armillae depicted sub no. 12. T. Another globe similar to the one mentioned above, and serving as support of sextants, which are placed on top of it; corresponding to this one there is a similar one facing west. Further there is at the very top of the house, where some round windows are visible, eight bedrooms for the collaborators. e. The uppermost octagonal chamber immediately below the spire of the house, from where there is a free view in all directions; round this there is a passage called the "gallery" on the top of the house itself. gg. Some octagonal constructions in which may be seen some carved figures representing the four seasons. bb. Seven chimneys ending in one in the south, and the same number in the north, so that all the chimneys of the whole house join in two different places. n. A clock, the bell of which, z, is hanging above. l. A gilt Pegasus. which by means of a movable pointer found under the ceiling of the uppermost chamber states where the wind sits. In this place another pointer turning round the same axis shows the time. Such is the exterior of the house as seen from the east or from the west, and, by a comparison between the south and the north side you will find the same appearance, so that everything corresponds mutually and is strictly symmetrically arranged, as required with architecture if the work is to be executed in a proper manner according to the rules of the art. As to the subterranean plan, which may be seen below denoted by dotted lines, it should be understood as follows: what is seen below the southern tower represents, as far as possible, the chemical laboratory. Here 1. denotes a round table placed in the middle of the room. On this the things may be placed which are to be treated. No. 2, as well as possible, represents furnaces of various kinds, placed here and there; there were sixteen of these, viz. three bathheaters, a digesting furnace with ashes, four large Athanors and two small ones, two destillation furnaces with sand or ashes, one for a large bellows, connected with it by means of two pipes, another furnace placed apart, with lamps, two furnaces reflecting the heat, one directly, the other in a spiral, partly freely, partly in a closed chamber. Most of the furnaces were built of natural stones imported from Norway, the socalled Bergen stones, as they will stand even the hottest fire and may be worked up elaborately. But if everything in this laboratory were to be described, it could not be done briefly. What is delineated under the big house represents cellars, both pantries and larders underground. Here the doors through which it is possible to enter from the various directions, are denoted by no. 3, and the columns placed for support by no. 4. Under the northern tower at no. 5 is seen the built well, forty ells deep, mentioned under the ground plan. Under no. 6 there are some built boxes in which food was kept. The rest partly appears from the picture, partly must be imagined.