A meridian line also ran across the floor of Milan Cathedral, with the twelve signs of the zodiac arranged along a brass line. The "pole" of the meridian was Capricorn, depicted on the wall five meters from the main entrance. Every winter solstice, sunlight shone into the cathedral through a small opening in the south, falling precisely upon that marble tile bearing Capricorn.
There were also Leo, Pisces, and the like, each with its own marble tile set into the floor according to this pattern. They looked like patches upon the exquisite marble flooring, disrupting the integrity and continuity of its design. As she listened to the introduction, Georgiana noticed that those marble patterns looked particularly familiar.
God took six days to create the world, and in the past, six represented the perfection of the universe.
A hexagon could be understood as two triangles superimposed, with adjacent corners connected. Likewise, an octagon could be understood as two squares superimposed. Both triangles and squares could be endlessly layered, because they were associated with matter rather than life or spirit.
God rested on the seventh day. The eighth day represented the first day of a new cycle, managed by mankind. Many baptisteries, including that of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, were octagonal. Adam's task was not to frolic freely in Eden like the other creations.
The angels were responsible for keeping watch. Lucifer had even protested over this, and the octagon was also associated with angels.
In Ancient Rome, the Romans did not believe in such things. Yet according to Vitruvius's accounts, people of that time valued "the balance of a dwelling"—that was, lighting and ventilation. An octagon could be understood as the eight directions from which winds blew. Winds blowing from the south and west carried moisture, causing