Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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              Columns, over which ran an Architrave, Freze
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              and Cornice, according to the Rules juſt now
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              laid down for Porticoes; and the reſt of the
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              Void above the Cornice was left quite open
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              for ſetting of Statues or large Candleſticks.
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              <s>Others incloſed the Entrance into ſuch Chapels
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              with a Walls brought half Way on each Side.
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              <s>Thoſe who imagine that the great Thickneſs
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              of the Walls adds Dignity to a Temple, are
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              greatly miſtaken; for who is there that does
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              not diſlike a Body compoſed of gouty Limbs?
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              <s>beſides that when the Walls are too thick, they
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              always intercept the Light. </s>
              <s>In the
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              Rotonda
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              at
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              Rome
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              , the excellent Architect who had the
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              Care of that great Work having in it Occaſion
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              for thick Walls, built the Ribs entirely of ſolid
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              Work, without any Stuffing, and thoſe Inter­
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              ſpaces which a leſs skilful Artiſt would have
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              ſtuffed, he employed in Niches and other A­
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              pertures, whereby he ſaved Expence, and made
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              the Structure leſs heavy, and more beautiful.
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              <s>The Thickneſs of the Walls muſt be proporti­
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              oned after the Manner of Columns; that is to
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              ſay, their Thickneſs muſt correſpond to their
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              Height, as in thoſe. </s>
              <s>I have obſerved that the
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              Ancients, in building their Temples, uſed to
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              divide the Front of their Platform into twelve
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              Parts; or, when they would make them parti­
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              cularly ſtrong, into nine, and one of thoſe
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              Parts was the Thickneſs of the Wall. </s>
              <s>In cir­
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              cular Temples the Wall was never leſs high
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              than half the Diameter of its inner Area;
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              many made it two Thirds of that Diameter,
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              and ſome three Fourths, which was the Height
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              to which they carried the Wall before they be­
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              gan the Sweep of the Cupola. </s>
              <s>But the more
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              diſcreet Workmen divided the Circumference
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              of this circular Platform into four Parts; and
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              one of thoſe fourth Parts being extended to a
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              Line was equal to the inward Height of the
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              Wall, which is as four to eleven: And this
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              Practice has been alſo imitated in ſquare Tem­
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              ples as well as round ones, and in many other
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              Kinds of Structures that were to be covered
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              with Arches. </s>
              <s>But where there were to be
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              Chapels on each Side in the Wall, to make the
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              Aperture ſeem the Larger they ſometimes raiſed
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              their Wall equal in Height to the whole Breadth
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              of the Area. </s>
              <s>In round Temples the inward
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              Height of the Wall will not be the ſame as the
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              outward: Becauſe within the Wall ends exact­
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              ly where the Sweep of the Arch begins; but
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              without, it is carried up ſtraight to the Top of
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              the Cornice. </s>
              <s>If the Cupola have a Cover on
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              the Outſide made with Degrees like Steps, the
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              outward Wall will take up a third Part of it;
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              but if the Cover be made with ſtraight Lines
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              and a common Slope, then the outward Wall
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              will take up half. </s>
              <s>Nothing is more conveni­
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              ent for building the Walls of a Temple, than
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              Brick; but then it muſt be caſed with ſome­
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              thing handſomer. </s>
              <s>There have been many dif­
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              ferent Opinions with Relation to the Adorning
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              of the Walls of Temples. </s>
              <s>At
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              Cyzicus
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              a Town
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              in
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              Bythinia
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              there was a Temple which had its
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              Walls adorned with a very beautiful Stone, and all
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              the Joints pointed with maſſy Gold. </s>
              <s>In the Tem­
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              ple of
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              Minerva
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              at
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              Elis
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              , the Brother of
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              Phidias
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              ,
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              the celebrated Carver, made an Incruſtation of
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              Stuc tempered with Saffron and Milk. </s>
              <s>The
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              Kings of
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              Ægypt
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              encompaſſed the Monument
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              of
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              Simandes
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              , which was the Scpulchre for the
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              Concubines of
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              Jupiter
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              , with a Circle of Gold
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              no leſs than a Cubit or Foot and half broad,
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              and three hundred ſixty-five Cubits round,
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              with a Day of the Year inſcribed upon every
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              Cubit. </s>
              <s>Others condemned this Exceſs of Or­
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              nament in Temples.
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              Cicero
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              , being guided by
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Plato's
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              Opinion, thought it neceſſary that the
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              People ſhould be admoniſhed by the Laws to
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              lay aſide all Manner of Delicacy in the Adorn­
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              ing their Temples, and take Care only to have
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              them perfectly clean and white. </s>
              <s>However,
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              ſays he, let the Structure of them be beautiful.
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              </s>
              <s>I confeſs, for my own Part, I am very ready to
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              believe, that Purity and Simplicity of Colour,
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              as of Life, muſt be moſt pleaſing to the Divine
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              Being; and that it is not proper to have any
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              Thing in a Church that may be likely to draw
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              off Men's Thoughts from Devotion and fix
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              them upon the Pleaſure and Delight of the
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              Senſes: But ſtill I am of Opinion, that he is
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              highly to be commended, who, as in other
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              publick Structures, ſo alſo in Temples, without
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              departing from the Gravity requiſite in ſuch
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              Works, endeavours to have all the Parts, the
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              Walls, Roof, and Pavement, as handſome and
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              clegant as poſſible, ſtill chiefly having it in his
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              Eye to make all his Ornaments the moſt dura­
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              ble that may be. </s>
              <s>Thus nothing can be more
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              proper for the Ornament of the Roof on the
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              Inſide than all Sorts of
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              Moſaic
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              Work made of
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              Marble, Glaſs, and other laſting Materials.
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              <s>Stuc-work with Figures, according to the Prac­
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              tice of the Ancients, may be a very handſome
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              Coat for the Outſide. </s>
              <s>In both you muſt take
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              the greateſt Care to chuſe proper Places as
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              well for your Pictures as Figures. </s>
              <s>The Por­
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              tico, for Inſtance, is the fitteſt Place for the
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              Repreſentation of great Actions in Pictures. </s>
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