Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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              <s>
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              from the Sea; but if you cannot place it ſo
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              far off, let it be at leaſt in ſome Situation where
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              the above-mention'd Winds cannot reach it,
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              otherwiſe than broken, tired and purified;
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              placing it ſo, that between it and the Sea there
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              may ſtand ſome Hill to interrupt any noxi­
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              ous Vapour from thence. </s>
              <s>A Proſpect of the
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              Sea from the Shore is wonderfully pleaſant, and
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              is generally attended with a wholeſome Air;
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              and
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              Ariſtotle
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              thinks thoſe Countries are moſt
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              healthy where the Winds keep the Atmoſphere
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              in continual Motion: but then the Sea there
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              muſt not be weedy, with a low Beach ſcarce
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              covered with Water; but deep with a high
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              bold Shore of a living craggy Rock. </s>
              <s>The
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              placing a City upon the proud Shoulders of a
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              Mountain (if we may be allowed ſo florid an
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              Expreſſion) contributes greatly not only to
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              Dignity and Pleaſure, but yet more to Health.
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              </s>
              <s>In thoſe Places where the Hills overſhadow the
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              Sea, the Water is always deep; beſides that if
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              any groſs Vapours do ariſe from the Sea, they
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              ſpend themſelves before they reach ſo high;
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              and if any ſudden Attack is made upon you from
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              an Enemy, you lie leſs liable to be ſurprized,
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              and more advantageouſly for defending your­
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              ſelf. </s>
              <s>The Ancients commend a Situation upon
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              the Eaſt Side of a Hill, and in hot Countries,
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              that Side which lies open to Northern Winds.
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              </s>
              <s>Others perhaps may rather chuſe the Weſt Side,
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              from this Inducement, that manured Ground
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              lying to that Aſpect is the moſt fruitful: And
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              indeed it is certain Hiſtorians tell us, that under
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              Mount
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              Taurus,
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              the Side which looks to the
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              North, is much more healthy than the others,
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              for the very ſame Reaſon that it is alſo more
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              fruitful. </s>
              <s>Laſtly, if we build our City upon a
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              Hill, we ſhould take particular Care that we are
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              not expoſed to one great Inconvenience which
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              generally happens in ſuch a Situation, eſpecially
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              if there are other Hills near, which raiſe their
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              Heads above us; namely, that there is not a
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              ſettled heavy Body of Clouds to darken and
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              eclipſe the Day and infect the Air. </s>
              <s>We ought,
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              beſides, to have a Care that this Situation is
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              not expoſed to the raging Fury and Violence
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              of Winds, and eſpecially of the North-wind;
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              which, as
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              Heſiod
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              tells us, ſhrinks up and bends
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              every Body, and particularly old People. </s>
              <s>It
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              will make the Situation very bad if there is
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              any neighbouring Rock ſtanding above the
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              City, ſo as to throw upon it the Vapours
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              raiſed by the Sun, or any very deep Valley
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              reaking with unwholeſome Steams. </s>
              <s>Others ad­
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              viſe that the Circuit of the Town ſhould ter­
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              minate in Clifts and Precipices; but that theſe
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              are not always ſafe againſt Earthquakes, or
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              Storms, is ſufficiently evident from very many
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              Towns, and particularly
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              Voltera
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              in
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              Tuſcany;
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              for the very Ground itſelf falls away in ſuch
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              Places, and brings down after it whatſoever is
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              built upon it.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>YOU ought alſo to take particular Care that
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              ſuch a Situation has no Hill near that riſes
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              above it, which falling into the Hands of an
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              Enemy, may enable him to give you continual
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              Trouble; nor any Plain laying under it big
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              enough to conceal an Army in Safety, and
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              give it Time to make Lodgments and open
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              Trenches, or to range its Forces in Order of
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              Battle to attack you. </s>
              <s>We read that
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              Dedalus
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              built the Town of
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              Agrigentum,
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              now called
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Gergento,
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              upon a very ſteep Rock, with a very
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              difficult Paſſage to it, inſomuch that only
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              three Men were ſufficient to defend it; a Fort­
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              reſs certainly very convenient, provided your
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              Paſſage out cannot be ſtopt by the ſame Num­
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              ber of Men that can ſecure the Paſſage in.
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              </s>
              <s>Men of Experience in military Affairs greatly
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              commend the Town of
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              Cingoli,
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              built by
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              Labi­
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              enus
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              in the Mark of
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              Ancona;
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              becauſe, beſides
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              ſeveral other Advantages that it has, it will not
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              allow of one Thing common in mountainous
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              Situations, which is that when once you have
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              climbed up to the Top, you then can fight
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              upon an equal Foot; for here you are repulſed
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              by a very high ſteep Precipice: Neither can the
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              Enemy here waſte and deſtroy the Country
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              round with one ſingle Excurſion, nor ſecure
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              all the Ways at one Time, nor make a ſecure
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              Retreat to their Camp, nor ſend out to For­
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              age, or to get Wood or Water without Dan­
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              ger; whereas thoſe in the Town enjoy all the
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              contrary Advantages; for by Means of the
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              Hills that lie beneath them all running one
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              into another with a great Number of little
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              Vallies between, they can at any Time iſſue
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              out of a ſudden to attack the Enemy una­
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              wares, and ſurprize them whenever any im­
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              mediate Opportunity offers itſelf. </s>
              <s>Nor are
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              they leſs pleaſed with
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              Biſſeium,
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              a Town of the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Marſians,
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              prodigiouſly ſecured by the three
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              Rivers which meet there from different Quar­
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              ters, and very difficult of Acceſs thro' the
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              narrow Paſſes of the Vallies guarded all round
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              with ſteep and unpaſſable Mountains: ſo that
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              the Enemy can find no Place to fix a Camp
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              for a Siege, and can never guard all the Paſſes,
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              which are vaſtly convenient to thoſe in the
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              Place for bringing in Proviſions and Succours, </s>
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