Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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            <pb xlink:href="003/01/028.jpg" pagenum="17"/>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. XII.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Of the Apertures in the Building, that is to ſay of the Windows and Doors,
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              and of thoſe which do not take up the whole Thickneſs of the Wall, and their
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              Number and Sizes.
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              </s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>We are now come to treat of the Aper­
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              tures, which are of two Sorts, the one
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              ſerving for the Admiſſion of Light and Air,
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              and the other for the Entrance and Paſſage of
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              the Inhabitants, and of all Manner of Con­
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              veniencies all thro' the Houſe. </s>
              <s>Thoſe for
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              Light are the Windows; thoſe for Paſſage, the
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              Doors, Stairs, and the Spaces between the
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              Columns: Thoſe too which are for the carrying
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              away of Water and Smoak, as Wells, Sinks,
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              the Gullets, as we may call them of Chimneys,
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              the Mouths of Ovens and Furnaces are alſo
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              called Apertures. </s>
              <s>No Room ought to be
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              without a Window, by which the incloſed
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              Air may be let out and renew'd, becauſe elſe
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              it will corrupt and grow unwholeſome.
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              Capi­
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              tolinus
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              the Hiſtorian relates, that in the Tem­
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              ple of
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              Apollo
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              at
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              Babylon
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              there was found a lit­
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              tle Gold Casket of very great Antiquity, upon
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              opening of which there iſſued a Steam of Air,
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              corrupted by Length of Time, and ſo poiſonous,
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              that ſpreading itſelf abroad, it not only killed
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              every body that was near, but infected all
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              Aſia
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              with a moſt dreadful Plague quite as far as
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              Par­
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              thia.
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              </s>
              <s> In the Hiſtory of
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              Ammianus Marcellinus,
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              we read, that in
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              Seleucia
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              in the Time of
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              Mark
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              Anthony
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              and
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              Verus,
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              after the Plunder and
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              Spoiling of the Temple, and carrying away
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              the Image of the
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              Conic Apollo
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              to
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              Rome,
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              they
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              diſcovered a little Hole which had been formerly
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              ſtop'd up by the
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              Chaldean
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              Prieſts: Which being
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              opened by the Soldiers, out of a greedy Deſire
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              of Plunder, ſent forth a Vapour ſo dreadfully
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              peſtilential and infectious, that from the Con­
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              fines of
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              Perſia
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              quite to
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              Gaul,
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              the whole Coun­
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              try was tainted with a mortal and loathſome
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              Diſtemper. </s>
              <s>Every Room therefore ſhould
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              have Windows, not only to let in the Light,
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              but to renew the Air; and they ought to be
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              ſo accommodated to Convenience and the
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              Thickneſs of the Wall, as not to admit more
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              remote than Uſe and Neceſſity requires.
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              </s>
              <s>Morevover we are to take notice what Winds
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              our Windows are to ſtand open to; becauſe
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              thoſe which look towards a healthy Air may
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              be allow'd to be large every Way; and it will not
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              be amiſs to open them in ſuch Manner that the Air
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              may go clear round the Bodies of the Inhabitants;
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              which may eaſily be contrived, if the Jambs of
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              the Windows are made ſo low, that you may
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              both ſee and be ſeen ſrom the Inſide into the
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              Street. </s>
              <s>But ſuch Windows as are expoſed to
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              Winds not altogether ſo healthy, ought to be
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              ſo proportion'd as to admit what Light is
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              requiſite, but not any Thing larger than is juſt
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              neceſſary for that Uſe; and they ſhould like­
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              wife be ſet high, that the Wall may break the
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              Winds before they reach us: Becauſe by this
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              means we ſhall have Wind enough to renew
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              our Air, but ſo interrupted as to take off from
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              the ill Effects of it. </s>
              <s>We ſhould alſo obſerve
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              what Suns our Houſe ſtands to, and according
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              to various Conveniencies make the Windows
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              larger or ſmaller. </s>
              <s>In Summer Apartments, if
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              the Windows are to the North, they ſhould be
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              made large every Way; but if they are to the
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              South Sun, it will be proper to make them low
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              and ſmall; ſuch being beſt adapted for Re­
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              ception of the Air, and leaſt liable to be of­
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              fended by the Sun's Rays; and there is no
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              Danger ſuch a Place ſhould ever want Light,
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              when the Sun lies in a Manner continually
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              upon it; ſo that Shade and not Light is what
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              is to be conſulted there. </s>
              <s>On the contrary in
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              Apartments for Winter, the Windows will be
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              beſt contrived for admitting the Sun if they
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              are made large, and yet we may avoid being
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              troubled by the Winds at the ſame Time, if we
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              place them high, ſo that the cold Air may not
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              blow directly upon the People within. </s>
              <s>Laſtly
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              from whatever Side we take in the Light, we
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              ought to make ſuch an Opening for it, as may
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              always give us a free Sight of the Sky, and the
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              Top of that Opening ought never to be too
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              low, becauſe we are to ſee the Light with our
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              Eyes; and not with our Heels; beſides the In­
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              convenience, that if one Man gets between
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              nother and the Window, the Light is inter­
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              cepted, and all the reſt of the Room is
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              darken'd, which never happens when the Light
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              comes from above. </s>
              <s>The Doors ſhould imitate
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              the Windows, that is, be larger or ſmaller,
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              more or fewer, according to the Frequency or
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              Neceſſity of the Place. </s>
              <s>But I obſerve, that </s>
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          </chap>
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