246
(solar) noon. Similarly, in the following years, other Italian cities introduced mean
local time for civil use.
Later, this system was affected by further developments, both political and technological (Mantovani 1996). With the formation of the Italian state came a network
of railways, postal services, astronomical observatories, meteorological stations,
and seismic observatories. The measurement of mean time was largely managed by
electric clocks connected by telegraph, a system that tied together both locations
and human events. For example, once the railway line from Eboli to Udine was
completed, one might travel within Italy through to as many as five different calculations of mean time (Napoli, Rome, Florence, Turin, and Verona).
8
In line with what was happening in the other European countries, which used the
timetables of their respective capitals, a unitary timetable had to be introduced in
Italy. With Regional Decree 3224 of 22 September 1866, all Italian railway, telegraphic, and postal lines adopted the mean time of Rome, calculated on the meridian of the Roman College. The Minister of Public Works, in the introductory report
to the decree, explained Rome’s preference over other Italian cities as resulting from
its peculiar geographical position:
The meridian of Rome is almost equidistant from the two opposite latitude ends of the
peninsula, which ranges from 24′ 47″ to the east (Otranto) to 21′ 46“ to the west (Susa),
giving a difference of 3′ 1” between the two extremes. The meridian of no other major city
on the Peninsula has this same advantage.
9
The same timetable was immediately adopted by Milan and later by other Italian
cities. In this way, Rome became the capital of the time of Italy, even before it was
the capital politically. Sicily and Sardinia, however, used the Palermo and Cagliari
mean times, respectively.
10
Gradually Italy moved towards the finish line of time zones, which were defined
in 1884 at the International Conference in Washington where the meridian passing
through Greenwich was chosen as the Prime Meridian. The adoption of this new
time convention took place at different times by the various nations. In Italy, King
Umberto I decided by decree No. 490 of 23 August 1893 that, as of 1 November of
the same year: The service of the railway roads throughout the Kingdom of Italy will
be regulated according to the average solar time from the meridian located at 15
8 On the Eboli-Udine line, the legal mean time would have been that of Naples for the Eboli-Napoli
segment, of Rome for the Naples-Roma-Foligno segment, Florence for Foligno-Firenze-Pistoia,
Turin for Pistoia-Ferrara-Po, and Verona for Po-Rovigo-Udine.
9 “Relazione fatta dal Ministro dei Lavori Pubblici a S. A. R. il Luogotenente Generale del Re in
udienza del 22 settembre 1866, per proporgli l’adozione del tempo medio di Roma nel servizio dei
convogli ferroviari, dei telegrafi, delle poste,” in Collezione Celerifera delle leggi, decreti, istruzioni e circolari pubblicate nell’anno 1866. (“Report made by the Minister of Public Works to
S. A. R. the Lieutenant General of the King at the hearing of 22 September 1866, to propose the
adoption of mean time Rome in the service of railways, telegraphs, post offices,” in the Celerifera
Collection of laws, decrees, instructions and circulars published in 1866.)
10 The development of the railway roads in Sicily was modest and without a continuity with the
peninsula due to the lack of the southernmost section of the railway network. Under these conditions, there would have been no advantage to adopt the Roman timetable.
M. L. Tuscano
(solar) noon. Similarly, in the following years, other Italian cities introduced mean
local time for civil use.
Later, this system was affected by further developments, both political and technological (Mantovani 1996). With the formation of the Italian state came a network
of railways, postal services, astronomical observatories, meteorological stations,
and seismic observatories. The measurement of mean time was largely managed by
electric clocks connected by telegraph, a system that tied together both locations
and human events. For example, once the railway line from Eboli to Udine was
completed, one might travel within Italy through to as many as five different calculations of mean time (Napoli, Rome, Florence, Turin, and Verona).
8
In line with what was happening in the other European countries, which used the
timetables of their respective capitals, a unitary timetable had to be introduced in
Italy. With Regional Decree 3224 of 22 September 1866, all Italian railway, telegraphic, and postal lines adopted the mean time of Rome, calculated on the meridian of the Roman College. The Minister of Public Works, in the introductory report
to the decree, explained Rome’s preference over other Italian cities as resulting from
its peculiar geographical position:
The meridian of Rome is almost equidistant from the two opposite latitude ends of the
peninsula, which ranges from 24′ 47″ to the east (Otranto) to 21′ 46“ to the west (Susa),
giving a difference of 3′ 1” between the two extremes. The meridian of no other major city
on the Peninsula has this same advantage.
9
The same timetable was immediately adopted by Milan and later by other Italian
cities. In this way, Rome became the capital of the time of Italy, even before it was
the capital politically. Sicily and Sardinia, however, used the Palermo and Cagliari
mean times, respectively.
10
Gradually Italy moved towards the finish line of time zones, which were defined
in 1884 at the International Conference in Washington where the meridian passing
through Greenwich was chosen as the Prime Meridian. The adoption of this new
time convention took place at different times by the various nations. In Italy, King
Umberto I decided by decree No. 490 of 23 August 1893 that, as of 1 November of
the same year: The service of the railway roads throughout the Kingdom of Italy will
be regulated according to the average solar time from the meridian located at 15
8 On the Eboli-Udine line, the legal mean time would have been that of Naples for the Eboli-Napoli
segment, of Rome for the Naples-Roma-Foligno segment, Florence for Foligno-Firenze-Pistoia,
Turin for Pistoia-Ferrara-Po, and Verona for Po-Rovigo-Udine.
9 “Relazione fatta dal Ministro dei Lavori Pubblici a S. A. R. il Luogotenente Generale del Re in
udienza del 22 settembre 1866, per proporgli l’adozione del tempo medio di Roma nel servizio dei
convogli ferroviari, dei telegrafi, delle poste,” in Collezione Celerifera delle leggi, decreti, istruzioni e circolari pubblicate nell’anno 1866. (“Report made by the Minister of Public Works to
S. A. R. the Lieutenant General of the King at the hearing of 22 September 1866, to propose the
adoption of mean time Rome in the service of railways, telegraphs, post offices,” in the Celerifera
Collection of laws, decrees, instructions and circulars published in 1866.)
10 The development of the railway roads in Sicily was modest and without a continuity with the
peninsula due to the lack of the southernmost section of the railway network. Under these conditions, there would have been no advantage to adopt the Roman timetable.
M. L. Tuscano