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 RiverQuestion of the MonthJuly 2009Compiled by Jennifer Robertson, M.Ed.RiverQuest Education SpecialistQuestion:
What are the ornaments on top of the pillars of the Allegheny River’s Sixteenth Street Bridge? Answer:Sitting atop each of the four stone pillars is a bronze sculpture of an armillary sphere, banded with the signs of the zodiac and resting on winged sea horses. New York sculptor Leo Lentilli designed the sculptures. Ancestors of the modern globe, armillary spheres were among the first models ever made. They are representations of the universe and consist of numerous rings or “armillae” often with a solid sphere at the center of the rings. The earliest armillary spheres were based upon the Ptolemaic cosmic system with the earth at the center of the universe. Later models reflected the Copernican planetary system with the sun at the center. The exact origin of the armillary sphere is unclear, but it came into widespread use during the Middle Ages. Armillary spheres can be divided into demonstrational and observational types. The spheres on the Sixteenth Street Bridge appear to be based on the demonstrational variety. The Sixteenth Street Bridge has four pillars, two on each side of the Allegheny River. The sculptures on opposite sides of the river give you a before and after effect. Those on the north side of the river are green with oxidation, while those on the south side have been refurbished.
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