Bartolomeo Antonio Bertolla was born in Mocenigo di Rumo, a short
distance from Mechel, in 1702.[10] Nothing is known of his boyhood,
other than the fact that he was mechanically inclined. At the age of 17
he was apprenticed to become a clockmaker with the master, Johann Georg
Butzjäger of Neulengbach, a small village on the edge of the great
Vienna woods.[11] This region was then part of the domain of the
Archduke of Austria, of which Sankt Pölten was the capital.
[Illustration: Figure 4.--PORTRAIT OF BARTOLOMEO ANTONIO BERTOLLA,
clockmaker, of Mocenigo di Rumo. The canvas in oils is owned by
descendants. In the upper left-hand corner is an inscription, now hardly
legible, indicating that the portrait may have been painted after
Bertolla's death on January 15, 1789. Translated, it states: "Bartolomeo
Antonio Bertola [sic] Celebrated Mechanician and Inventor of various
Instruments. Repairer of the clocks of Venice, Verona, Trent, and other
localities. Maker of the Work which combines the Copernican and
Ptolemaic Systems devised by Father Francesco Borghesi of Mechel,
Laureate Mathematician, and humbly offered to Her Imperial Majesty Maria
Theresa. Died in piety in his home at Rumo on 15 January 1789 at the age
of 86." (_Courtesy of Sig. Luigi Pippa of Milan._)]
[Illustration: Figure 5.--THE VILLAGE OF MOCENIGO DI RUMO in the valley
of the Non. Arrow points to Bertolla's home and workshop at far left.]
[Illustration: Figure 6.--CERTIFICATE OF APPRENTICESHIP awarded to
Bartolomeo Antonio Bertolla upon completion of his 3-year apprenticeship
at Neulengbach, dated December 27, 1722.]
Bertolla began his apprenticeship with Butzjäger under the auspices of
the Corporation of Blacksmiths of Sankt Pölten in 1719. His training was
supervised by two master locksmiths, Johann Christian Winz and Peter
Wisshofer, who were members of the Corporation, and were assigned to
serve as patrons for the apprentice. It was their obligation to make
certain that he received good care and adequate instruction from his
master. While he worked in Butzjäger's shop, Bertolla lived with the
master's family in their home.
Bertolla's 3 years at Neulengbach passed quickly as he sought to absorb
all that his master could teach him. Butzjäger was considered to be a
good craftsman in the region, yet today there is not even a mention of
his name in the lists of clockmakers. He specialized in the production
and repair of "great clocks" which included tall-case, domestic
timepieces, and tower clocks. Butzjäger treated his apprentice well, and
in return Bertolla rewarded him by being diligent and honest. His
subsequent work is sufficient indication that he developed into an
extremely skilled craftsman, and he became the equal of any clockmaker
of his time.
The 3 years of apprenticeship were completed and on December 27, 1722,
Bertolla received a certificate from the Corporation of Blacksmiths
which assured whomever it might concern of Bertolla's skill, diligence
and honesty, and permitted him to open his own shop as a clockmaker
under the auspices of the Corporation. This document, which has been
preserved by Bertolla's descendants, is an interesting record of the
organization of the trade guilds in the 18th century, and, for that
reason, has been translated from the original German:
We, the Superiors and other masters of the honorable
corporation of municipal blacksmiths, armorers, and of smiths,
in the Imperial City of St. Pölten in Austria by the river
Enns, DECLARE BY THESE PRESENTS put in force by this document
to anyone who waits to hear.... That the honorable and able
BARTOLOMEO ANTONIO BERTOLLA of Rumo in Lentzberg, the Tyrol, on
the 27th day of the month of December of the year 1719 was
consigned as apprentice for three years, in the presence of two
sponsoring masters for the purpose, the honorable Johann
Christian Winz and Peter Wisshofer, both of them master
locksmiths representing the entire honorable Corporation and
others of open shop--to the honorable JOHANN GEORG BUTZJÄGER,
incorporated with us, citizen and master clockmaker for large
clocks in the merchant-village of Neulengbach in Wienerwald, as
his master of the art, would have therefore perfectly and
rightfully worked and learned, and
that afterwards, on the day and year noted at the bottom, he
will be newly declared free and independent before us,
representative of an entire and honorable Corporation and with
open shop, of his above-mentioned master and of the two
sponsoring masters mentioned,
and since he eagerly requested a truthful certificate of
apprenticeship for his honest service as an apprentice and for
his good behavior, and we having great pleasure as well as the
duty of favoring the truth and well knowing that the aforesaid
BARTOLOMEO ANTONIO BERTOLLA has learned honestly the art of
clockmaking for great clocks from his aforesaid master, and
that he has always behaved with honesty, obedience,
faithfulness and diligence both towards his master and towards
us to our complete satisfaction and, therefore, we cannot in
any manner refuse his request, rather we wish to grant it with
a clear conscience.
WE THEREFORE ADDRESS TO EVERYONE and to anyone in whatever
state and rank, but particularly to those interested in our
branch of this art, our respectful and courteous entreaty and
request to consider BARTOLOMEO ANTONIO BERTOLLA well
recommended for his honest apprenticeship and his good
behavior, and to desire to favor him in every way, in such a
manner that will assure our gratitude whenever an occasion
presents itself.
For this purpose, we issue, as we have declared we wish to
issue to you, BARTOLOMEO ANTONIO BERTOLLA, this certificate of
apprenticeship, attaching to it the seal of our Corporation.