cst sabe a.a. 2018/19 architectural theory i | vitruvian ...€¦ · invitation of francois i,...

Dr. Manlio MICHIELETTO

ARCHI THEORY_I‐LECTURE_0061

CSTSABEA.A. 2018/19

ARCHITECTURAL THEORY_I

| VITRUVIAN TRADITION IN THE RENAISSANCE |

2ARCHI THEORY_I‐LECTURE_006

4. Schedule of Lectures001 Syllabus + Architectural Theory002 Toward a Classical Architecture: The order(s) of the Temple003 The Classical Architecture: Vitruvius004 The rediscovery: Leon Battista Alberti005 Quattrocento: theory after Alberti006 Vitruvian tradition in the Renaissance



007 Palladio and the North Italian Humanists008 Francois Blondel and The French Academic Tradition009 The Ordonnance of Claude Perrault010 The Enlightenment: Marc-Antoine Laugier011 The Historiography of Winckelmann012 Jean-Nicolas Durand and Quatremère de Quincy



INDEX

1. Fra Giocondo2. Sebastiano Serlio

2.1 Book 33. Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola

3.1 Preface4. Bibliography


06

08

17

26

31

41


1. Fra GiocondoAs the Renaissance movement entered into the sixteenthcentury, the stylistic battle that had been waged by Alberti,Filarete, and others had largely been won and its theorywas now ready to be codified for practicing architects.

Fra Giocondo’s annotated and illustrated Latin edition ofVitruvius came out in 1511, and Cesare Cesariano’sItalian translation of Vitruvius appeared in 1521.



1. Fra Giocondo



2. Sebastiano SerlioThe last book proved to be an enormous boon to theRoman’s popularity and it led eventually – in 1542 – to thefounding of the Vitruvian Academy in Rome.

One of the leaders of this Vitruvian revival, the architectwho would attempt to translate Vitruvian theory intopractical terms, was the Bolognan Sebastiano Serlio.



2. Sebastiano SerlioThis architect was originally trained as a painter, but by1514 he was working in Rome in the Vatican workshop ofBramante.

There his principal teacher was the Siennese architect andpainter Baldassare Peruzzi (1481–1536), who from 1520onward was at least partly in charge of the construction ofthe new church of St. Peter’s.

It was Peruzzi who conveyed to Serlio a love for classicalantiquity, but this period ended in 1527, when the armiesof Charles V sacked Rome.



2. Sebastiano SerlioVilla Farnesina (1509-1511) – Baldassarre Peruzzi



2. Sebastiano SerlioSerlio retreated to the north, to the area around Venice,and there he began what amounted to a modestarchitectural career.

He may have designed the villa in Cricoli for GiangiorgioTrissino, the first patron of Palladio.

In 1539 he also prepared a design for rebuilding thebasilica at Vicenza; the competition was won by Palladio.



2. Sebastiano SerlioVilla in Cricoli for Giangiorgio Trissino (1530) - Serlio



2. Sebastiano SerlioSerlio by this date had already committed himself tocomposing an architectural treatise of seven books, the firstof which (Book 4) actually appeared in Venice in 1537.

Three years later Book 3 was published, and in 1541 Serlio– unable to find a patron in Italy – left for France at theinvitation of Francois I, where he published Books 1, 2,and 5.

Book 6 appeared in Lyons in 1551, and the final volume ofhis literary enterprise, Book 7, appeared posthumously in1575 in Frankfurt.



2. Sebastiano SerlioSerlio’s treatise differs from its predecessors in severalimportant ways.

First it was written in Italian for the architect rather than forthe educated nobility.

It is not especially scholarly or theoretical but is ratherheavily illustrated and is intended to be a practical guide inthe codification of classical architectural principles.



2. Sebastiano Serlio



2. Sebastiano SerlioThere are books on the principles of geometry andperspective, the orders, churches, and domestic design, allof which make it far-reaching in scope.



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] Augustus had this theatre built in the name of hisnephew, Marcellus, and hence it is called the Theatre ofMarcellus. It is in Rome. Part of it, that is, the external part ofthe portico, is to be seen still standing. It is of two Ordersonly, that is, Doric and Ionic, highly praised work eventhough the Doric columns do not have their bases or eventheir collar below, but simply rest upon the pavement of theportico, without anything beneath. […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and PerspectiveTheatre of Marcellus



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] Not much was known about the plan of this theatre.However, just recently the noble Roman family, the Massimi,wanted to build a house, the site for which turned out to beabove part of this theatre – the said house was designed bythat outstanding architect, Baldassare from Siena. While theywere excavating the foundations they found the remains ofmany different parts of the ornamentation of this theatre andclear traces of the ground plan were unearthed. As a resultBaldassare deduced the whole from the part uncovered, andthus measured it very carefully and set it in the form which isshown on the following page. […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and PerspectiveTheatre of Marcellus



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] Since I happened to be in Rome at the same time, I sawmany of those parts of the ornamentation and had anopportunity to measure them, and truly there I found formsas beautiful as any I have ever seen in ancient ruins,especially in the Doric capitals and the imposts of the archeswhich I thought conformed very closely to the writings ofVitruvius. In, the same way the frieze, the triglyphs and themetopes all corresponded very well. […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] However, even though the Doric cornice was extremelyrich in members and highly carved, nonetheless I found itvery far from Vitruvian doctrine, very licentious in itsmembers and of such a height that, in proportion to thearchitrave and frieze, two-thirds of that height would havebeen enough. Nevertheless I think that modern architectsshould not err (by err I mean go against Vitruvian precepts)by adducing the licence of this or other ancient things, or beso presumptuous as to carve a cornice or other element inexactly the same proportion that they have seen andmeasured and then to build it into a work. […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] The fact is that it is not enough to say ‘I can do itbecause the ancients did it’ without considering whether theelement is otherwise in proportion to the rest of the building.Furthermore, even if the ancient architect was licentious, wemust not be so. We should uphold the doctrines of Vitruviusas an infallible guide and rule, provided that reason doesnot persuade us otherwise, because from the worthy ancientsup to our times there has been no one who has written betteror more learnedly on architecture than he. If in every othernoble art we can see that there is a founder to whom isascribed so much authority that his pronouncements aregiven full and perfect trust, who would deny – […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] unless he were very foolhardy and ignorant – that inarchitecture Vitruvius was at the highest level? Or that hiswritings (where reason does not dictate otherwise) ought tobe sacrosanct and inviolable? Or that we should trust himmore than any works by the Romans: although they learnedthe true order in building from the Greeks, nevertheless later,as conquerors of the Greeks, perhaps some of them becamelicentious? Certainly, anyone who had seen the wonderfulworks built by the Greeks – nearly all of which havedisappeared, demolished by time and wars – would judgethat the Greek works were better by far than those of theRomans. […]



2. Sebastiano SerlioBook 3, The Complete Works on Architecture and Perspective[…] And so all those architects who might condemn thewritings of Vitruvius, especially in those parts which can beclearly understood – like the Doric Order which I amdiscussing – would be architectural heretics, refuting thatauthor who for so many years has been, and still is,approved of by men of discernment. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaInitially trained as a painter, this artist likely turned toarchitecture in the 1520s under the influence of Peruzzi andSerlio, although his illustrious career (which would includethe design of the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola and thechurch of II Gesu` in Rome) would take another twodecades to unfold.



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPalazzo Farnese - Caprarola



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaIn 1538 he moved to Rome, and it was there that hebecame involved with the Vitruvian Academy.

It is no doubt from this involvement came his ambition towrite a rule book on the orders, in a simpler and easierillustrated format than had previously existed.

His Regola delli cinque ordini was written during the 1550s,but did not appear until 1562.

Its success can be measured by the fact that it became thearchitect’s principal reference book on the orders well downinto the twentieth century.



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaVignola’s rules (modules) are not based on a philologicalreading of Vitruvius or other sources, but rather on thearchaeological study of the most highly regarded Romanmodels in Rome.

It is, moreover, a composite or idealized version of theorders, one also slenderer in its overall proportions thanthose proposed by either Vitruvius or Serlio.

It fully complies with the Renaissance desire to regulate orbring design decisions into a simpler format.



3. Giocomo Barozzi da Vignola



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] The reason why I was moved to make this little work,good readers, and then to dedicate it (such as it is) to thegeneral service of he who delights in it, I shall briefly explainfor clearer understanding. Having practised the art ofarchitecture for many years in different countries, it hasalways been a pleasure for me to look at the opinion of asmany writers as I could about the practice of ornament, andcomparing them with each other and with ancient works stillin existence, to try to extract a rule with which I could becontent, and which I could be sure would completely satisfy,or at least nearly so, every scholar of this art. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] And this was solely to serve my own requirements, norwas there any other aim. To do this, leaving aside manythings of the writers, where differences of no littleconsequence are born, and to achieve greater certainty, Idecided first to study those ancient ornaments of the fiveOrders which appear in the antiquities of Rome […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] And considering all of them carefully and examiningtheir measurements accurately, I found that those which inthe general opinion are the most beautiful and appear themost graceful to our eyes also have a certain numericalagreement and proportion which is the least complex:indeed you can measure precisely the large members in alltheir parts with each minute member. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] Hence, considering further how much our senses takepleasure in this proportion, and how much the things outsideit are unpleasant, as the musicians prove in their sciencethrough sensation, I undertook this task many years ago,namely to reduce the said five Orders of architecture to aconcise and quick rule which was easy to use, and themethod I kept to was as follows. Wishing to put in this rule(by way of example) the Doric Order, I considered that of allthe examples of Doric, the one in the Theatre of Marcelluswas the most highly praised by everyone. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] This, then, I took as the basis of the rule for the saidOrder, that is, determining its principal parts. If some minormember did not entirely obey the numerical proportions(which often happens owing to the work of the stonecuttersor other accidents that frequently occur with such details) Iaccommodated it to my rule not by altering anything ofimportance but by harmonising this slight licence on theauthority of other examples of Doric which are alsoconsidered beautiful. From these examples I took other smallparts whenever I needed to supplement the one from theTheatre of Marcellus, not as Zeuxis did with the maidensamong the Crotons, but rather as my judgment directed. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] I made this choice for all the Orders, extracting onlyfrom ancient works and adding nothing of my own save thedistribution of their proportions which were based on simplenumbers, using not the braccia, or feet, or palms ofwhatever locality, but an arbitrary measurement called themodule, divided into those parts which will be seen fromOrder to Order in the appropriate place. And I have madean otherwise difficult part of architecture so easy that everyordinary talent, provided he has some enthusiasm for thisart, can at a glance and without much bothersome reading,understand the whole and make use of it at opportunemoments. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] And although I was far from interested in publishing this,nevertheless it has been made possible by the entreaties ofmany friends desiring it, and even more by the generosity ofmy perpetual lord, the illustrious and most reverend CardinalFarnese. From him not only have I received the courtesies ofhis honorable house which have allowed me to workdiligently, but he has also given me the means to satisfy myfriends and in addition to present to you shortly other,greater things on this subject, if you accept this part in thespirit in which I believe you will. […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] And as it is neither my wish nor my intent to respondhere to those objections that I know will be made by some, Ileave this task to the work itself which by pleasing the morejudicious will lead them to take up my defence. I would onlyadd that should someone judge this a vain effort by sayingthat one cannot lay down a fixed rule, since, according tothe opinion of all and especially of Vitruvius, it is oftennecessary to enlarge or to diminish the proportions ofornamental members in order to remedy with art where ourvision has been deceived by some occurrence, to him I replythat concerning this matter it is necessary to know how muchshould appear to the eye – […]



3. Giocomo Barozzi da VignolaPreface to Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture[…] – this should always be the firm rule which others haveproposed to observe – and then proceed in this by certaingood rules of perspective, whose practice is fundamentalboth here and in painting, such that I am sure you will bepleased, [and] I also hope to present that to you soon. […]



4. Bibliography



[email protected]


cst sabe a.a. 2018/19 architectural theory i | vitruvian ...€¦ · invitation of francois i,...

Documents