When the sun rose on this lovely Roman morning it was 5:51. The lovely Roman evening commences with the setting of the sun at 20:23.
The Ave Maria Bell should ring at 20:45.
It is the Feast of Sts. Nereus, Achilleus and Pancratius (304).
As it does inevitably happen the question came in: “What is the Ave Maria Bell you keep mentioning?” I wrote about that in greater detail HERE.
Here’s a compressed version.
The Ave Maria Bells signals the end of the “religious” day and the beginning of “religious” night.
It is rung in the ball park of 30 minutes after sunset. Usually the Ave Maria is rung in a way not dissimilar to how the Angelus (Regina Caeli now) is rung… 3x… 4x…5x… 1x.
If the Ave Maria rings at, say, 19:00h (7PM), then 18:00h (6PM) would start the 23rd hour of the day and 19:00 would start the 1st hour of the new day’s “evening and morning”. In Roman churches, Vespers were usually sung about an hour before the Ave Maria Bell. Hence, in the example above, at about 18:00 at the 23rd hour.
What was the Ave Maria Bell doing for the Roman Curia?
In the Roman Curia, Cardinals who were Prefects (the offices of the Congregations had/have throne rooms, btw) and other “pezzi grossi” around the place would receive visits for an hour after the Ave Maria. An hour after the Ave Maria was rung to signal the change of religious days, another bell was struck to denote the 1st hour of the new day.
The Ave Maria could also follow the sun, and ring precisely one half hour after sunset. So, following the sun strictly, the solar Ave Maria this evening would ring at 18:53.
To simplify this for the Curia – ’cause who had watches, right? – they adopted 15 minute cycles. We are in the 18:45 cycle now. Actually we are in the 17:45 cycle, which lasts from 11-24 May. BUT… there’s the “ora legale” here, the European “daylight savings” in force which moved the hour hand forward. On Sunday 26 October “ora legale” is over and we will turn our clocks back to normal.
This also ties into the old Six Hour Clocks, you can still see around Rome. The Six Hour Clock, which divided the day in 4 parts and made a complete revolution every 6 hours, influenced the recitation of the Angelus at 06:00 – 12:00 – 18:00. These Six Hour Clocks were adjusted daily according to solar noon. Solar noon was tracked carefully, because that is when contacts and appointments went into effect. In the Church today, appointments still generally are designated as starting at noon. There is a solar calendar made by a shaft of light through a tiny hole at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli by the Piazza della Repubblica. The light spot on the floor traces the sun’s analemma over the course of the year across a 45 meter long meridian line. It also could track certain stars, such as Sirius, the Dog Star. Clement XI (+1721) commissioned it to check the accuracy of the Gregorian Calendar (1582). 
That sun clock was used to determine solar noon for all of Rome. A signal would be sent from that church by means of a flag, watched for across town from the Gianicolo Hill where a cannon fired to sound noon. It still does, everyday!
BTW… John L. Heilbron has a book on churches and cathedrals as solar observatories. It is called The Sun In The Church. Very cool.
There’s this.
Today I left my glasses on my vestments in the sacristy. The World’s Best Sacristan™ put them in church on a side ledge of the main altar so I could retrieve them “after hours”.
Tonight I was out with The Great Roman™ and the The Wife of the Great Roman™ (a distinguished and internationally known bio-ethicist) and the emeritus head of An Important Institute™ (whom you would instantly recognize).
… honestly, I feel like I’ve come alive again.
Before “certain changes” all I wanted to do was sleep or lock the door, the spiritual FUG was that bad. Now, I’m getting out more and meeting up with people more… it’s like normal life is returning. It’s a sign of how deeply some of us have been wounded now for years.
Anyway, I was out… mussels, clams, tomato, hot pepper, yum.
On the way home.
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I agree Father, I am a lot more optimistic these days. It’s like a weight has been lifted, a weight that while I knew it was there, I don’t think I realized how burdensome it has been. I don’t mind being challenged on some of my preconceptions, just please don’t hate me simply because I’m an American who wants clear teachings and support from my Church leaders. I’m happy to go evangelize to the marginalized, but it helps when I’m standing on firm ground and know that my Papa has my back. It also makes me less worried for what my children may hear, while they are still growing in their faith. I pray, hope, and believe we will have more reasoned, well thought out teachings coming. Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but as you said, a fug seems to have lifted.
Sheesh, long days for those curial officials. Surely prefects turn into pumpkins after 5pm.. unless those visits were accompanied with some wine or a negroni?
To your final point, I also feel as though a weight has been lifted. I guess we’ll all see each other in therapy.
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The picture on the way home was glorious. (if only Lily could have been in it.)