Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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1the Things neceſſary and uſeful to the Family.
The Family conſiſts of the following Perſons:
The
Husband, the Wife, their Children and
Relations
, and all the different Sorts of Ser­
vants
attendant upon theſe; beſides which,
Gueſts
too are to be reckoned as Part of the
Family
.
The Things uſeſul to the Family are
Proviſions
and all Manner of Neceſſaries, ſuch
as
Cloths, Arms, Books, and Horſes alſo.
The
principal
Member of the whole Building, is
that
which (whatever Names others may give
it
) I ſhall call the Court-yard with its Portico;
next
to this is the Parlour, within this the Bed­
chambers
, and laſtly, the private Rooms for
the
particular Uſes of each Perſon in the Fa­
mily
.
The other Members of the Houſe are
ſufficiently
known by their Uſes.
The Court­
yard
therefore is the principal Member, to
which
all the other ſmaller Members muſt cor­
reſpond
, as being in a Manner a publick Mar­
ket-place
to the whole Houſe, which from this
Court-yard
derives all the Advantages of Com­
munication
and Light.
For this Reaſon every
one
deſires to have his Court-yard as ſpacious,
large
, open, handſome and convenient as poſ­
ſible
.
Some content themſelves with one Court­
yard
, others are for having more, and for en­
cloſing
them all with very high Walls, or ſome
with
higher and ſome with lower; and they
are
for having them ſome covered and others
open
, and others again half covered and half
uncovered
; in ſome they would have a Portico
only
on one Side, in others on two or more,
and
in others all round; and theſe Porticoes,
laſtly
, ſome would build with flat, others with
arched
Rooſs.
Upon theſe Heads I have no­
thing
more to ſay, but that Regard muſt be had
to
the Climate and Seaſon, and to Neceſſity
and
Convenience; ſo as in cold Countries to
ward
againſt the bleak North-wind, and the
Severity
of the Air and Soil; and in hot Cli­
mates
, to avoid the troubleſome and ſcorching
Rays
of the Sun.
Admit the pleaſanteſt
Breezes
on all Sides, and ſuch a grateſul Quan­
tity
of Light as is neceſſary; but do not let
your
Court-yard be expoſed to any noxious
Vapours
exhaled from any damp Place, nor to
frequent
haſty Showers from ſome overlooking
Hill
in the Neighbourhood.
Exactly anſwer­
ing
the Middle of your Court-yard place your
Entrance
, with a handſome Veſtibule, neither
narrow
, difficult or obſcure.
Let the firſt Room
that
offers itſelf be a Chapel dedicated to God,
with
its Altar, where Strangers and Gueſts may
offer
their Devotions, beginning their Friend­
ſhip
by Religion; and where the Father of the
Family
may put up his Prayers for the Peace
of
his Houſe and the Welfare of his Relations.
Here let him embrace thoſe who come to viſit
him
, and if any Cauſe be referred to him by his
Friends
, or he has any other ſerious Buſineſs
of
that Nature to tranſact, let him do it in this
Place
.
Nothing is handſomer in the Middle
of
the Portico, than Windows of Glaſs, through
which
you may receive the Pleaſure either of
Sun
or Air, according to the Seaſon. Martial
ſays
, that Windows looking to the South, re­
ceive
a pure Sun and a clear Light; and the
Ancients
thought it beſt to place their Porti­
coes
fronting the South, becauſe the Sun in
Summer
running his Courſe higher, did not
throw
in his Rays, where they would enter in
Winter
.
The Proſpect of Hills to the South,
when
thoſe Hills, on the Side which you have
a
View of, are continually covered with Clouds
and
Vapours, is not very pleaſant, if they are
at
a great Diſtance; and if they are near, and
in
a Manner juſt over your Head, they will
incommode
you with chill Shadows and cold
Rimes
; but if they are at a convenient Dif­
tance
, they are both pleaſant and convenient,
becauſe
they defend you from the ſouthern
Winds
.
Hills towards the North reverberating
the
Rays of the Sun, encreaſe the Heat; but at
a
pretty good Diſtance, they are very delight­
ful
, becauſe the Clearneſs of the Air, which is
always
ſerene in ſuch a Situation, and the
Brightneſs
of the Sun, which it always enjoys,
is
extremely chearful to the Sight.
Hills to the
Eaſt
and ſo likewiſe to the Weſt, will make
your
Mornings cold and the Dews plentiſul,
if
they are near you; but both, if at ſome toler­
able
Diſtance, are wonderfully Pleaſant.
So
too
, Rivers and Lakes are inconvenient if too
near
, and afford no Delight, if too far off:
Whereas
, on the Contrary, the Sea, if it is at
a
large Diſtance, makes both your Air and Sun
unhealthy
; but when it is cloſe to you, it does
you
leſs Harm, becauſe then you have always
an
Equality in your Air.
Indeed there is this
to
be ſaid, that when it is at a great Diſtance,
it
encreaſes the Deſire we have to ſee it.
There
is
a good Deal too in the Point to which we
lie
open to it: For if you are expoſed to the
Sea
towards the South, it ſcorches you; if to­
wards
the Eaſt, it infeſts you with Damps; if
to
the Weſt, it makes your Air cloudy and full
of
Vapours; and if to the North, it chills you
with
exceſſive Cold.
From the Court-yard
we
proceed to the Parlours, which muſt be

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