Globe of Peace, Peace monument in Apecchio, Italy
The Globe of Peace is a rotating sphere approximately 10 meters in diameter, mounted on wooden support structures and covered with fiberglass painted to show continents and oceans. Two motors power the rotation, allowing the structure to demonstrate the Earth's movement as it turns.
Local builder Orfeo Bartolucci designed and constructed this rotating globe over five years, completing it in 1988 after being inspired by a smaller globe he had seen in Venice. The project represented his determination to create a monument that would symbolize peace and understanding among peoples.
The structure served as a showcase for local craftsmanship, with tools and instruments displayed inside that revealed how the community contributed its technical skills to this ambitious project.
The globe can be viewed from outside and is accessible year-round, though clear weather offers the best views of its painted surface. The site is relatively flat and easy to access, with open surroundings that provide views of the surrounding region.
The globe held the Guinness World Record as the largest rotating sphere in the world until 1998, when Eartha in Maine, USA, surpassed it. This achievement reminds visitors that the monument was once a remarkable engineering feat and demonstrates how innovations in monumental structures have advanced over time.
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