Modern and current uses of the compass rose

Even before the discovery of the compass (which occurred in China, in the 3rd century BC), and centuries ahead of satellite navigation (introduced during the Cold War, in the 1950s), the The compass rose was the essential tool to orient yourself, understand the climate and move around safely. And even today it is considered a valuable tool, so much so that it is also used by climate experts for their forecasts, especially regarding wind direction and intensity.

Origins

According to the most reliable sources, the compass rose has a very ancient history even if the first graphic representation, very similar to the one we know today, dates back to the times of the Maritime Republic, and in particular to the Republic of Amalfi between the 9th and 10th centuries. The study of the winds, however, also fascinated the ancient Greeks, so much so that it is also mentioned Homer inOdysseyAccording to the poet, the four main winds are: Boreas, Euro, Noto and ZephyrLater the Romans also became interested in this science and it is said that already Pliny, an expert in navigation, had created an eight-pointed compass rose. The reasons for this passion of the ancients for the winds can be explained by a similar reason: theorienteering at seaBy arranging the winds in correspondence with the cardinal points, navigators, when ships were still only sail-powered, were able to orient themselves in the open sea simply by observing in which direction the wind was blowing. wind. 

The main objective of the Compass Rose is to indicate the position of the winds based on the four cardinal points: North, South, East, West. Its name derives from the Latin expression “Rosa ventorum", which, after the 16th century, was used to refer to the figurative arrangement of the wind system within a circle. The expression is also known as: star of the winds o symbol of the windsThe name indicates the shape of the compass rose: the arms that branch out from the centre recall the petals of a rose arranged around the heart of the graph, while “of the winds” indicates that the diagram shows from which directions the winds blow.

Many modern compasses and nautical charts still show the compass rose (or a similar symbol) to aid visual orientation between the cardinal points, even though navigation is now based on digital systems and GPS. The compass rose is also a statistical graph used by climate experts to show from which directions do the winds blow and how often? They do it in a certain place, and this is very useful for studying the local climate and for planning activities that are in some way influenced by the wind. So much so that the Wind Rose is used to design airport runwaysKnowing which directions the winds blow helps you align runways correctly for safer takeoffs and landings. This ancient tool is widely used to determine where to install wind turbines and plan flights, regattas, paragliding, and surfing.

 But today the compass rose has also become a cultural symbol related to travel, exploration and adventure, and is used as decoration, in logos, tattoos and art, recalling the idea of ​​“finding one’s direction”.

These are names and directions of the winds that blow in the Mediterranean and Italy. Obviously the list could be much longer but these eight They are by far the best known and are positioned at the cardinal points. Starting from the north, they are read clockwise:

• from North (N) the tramontana: cold and dry, brings clear skies.
• from the North-East (NE) the Grecale also called Greek: cold and dry, indicates rough seas.
• from the East (E) the I raised: humid, it is often associated with clouds and rain.
• from the South-East (SE) Sirocco: It comes from the Sahara Desert and can bring wind and sand.
• from the South (S) the Noon or Ostro: very hot, brings unstable weather.
• from the South-West (SW) the Libeccio: humid and strong, brings rain and thunderstorms.
• from the West (W) Ponente: a mild wind that often indicates improving weather.
• from the Northwest (NW) Mistral: cool and dry, sweeps away the clouds.