System used chiefly in Italy and sometimes referred to as "Roman" arrangement. The date of its introduction is unknown, but it is documented in the early Renaissance and remained in use in some regions for three centuries. Reckoning is easy and practical. The hour intervals on the dial are proportionally larger than in the twelve-division system, so that a single hand gives a better approximation of the hour fractions. The day was divided into four cycles of six hours each. The number six indicated noon, midnight, and, at the equinoxes, sunrise and sunset. The repetition of the same strokes after a brief interval also prevented the illiterate from making errors. In this connection, it should be remembered that, with building clocks, the sound of chimes had a far wider range—in terms of physical distance and comprehension—than the dial display.