Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

Table of figures

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              <s>
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              always that which is the ſtraiteſt, but that which
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              is the ſaſeſt: I would rather chuſe to have it
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              ſomewhat the longer, than to have it inconveni­
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              ent. </s>
              <s>Some think the Country of
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              Piperno
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              the
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              moſt ſecure of any, becauſe it is cut through
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              with deep Roads almoſt like Pits, doubtful at
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              the Entrance, uncertain in their Paſſage, and
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              unſafe upon Account of the Ground which lies
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              above them, from whence any Enemy may be
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              prodigiouſly inſeſted.</s>
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              <s>THE Men of beſt Experience think that
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              Way the moſt ſecure, which is carried over
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              the Backs of ſmall Hills, made level. </s>
              <s>Next
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              to this are ſuch as are made through the Fields
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              upon a high raiſed Bank, according to the
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              Manner of the Ancients, who indeed upon
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              that Account gave them the Name of
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              Aggeres,
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              or
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              Highways.
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              </s>
              <s> And it is certain ſuch raiſed
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              Cauſeys have a vaſt many Conveniences: It
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              relieves the Traveller from the Fatigue and
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              Vexation of his Journey, to enjoy a fine Proſ­
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              pect from the Heighth of the Cauſey all the
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              Way as he travels; beſides that, it is a great
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              Convenience to be able to perceive an Enemy
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              at a good Diſtance, and to have ſuch an Ad­
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              vantage as either to be able to repel them
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              with a ſmall Force, or to retire without Loſs,
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              if you find they are the ſtronger. </s>
              <s>There is a
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              great Convenience, not at all foreign to our
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              Purpoſe, which I have obſerved in the Road
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              that goes to the Port of
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              Oſtia.
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              </s>
              <s> As there is a
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              vaſt Concourſe of People, and great Quantities
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              of Merchandize brought thither from
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              Ægypt,
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              Africa, Lybia, Spain, Germany,
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              and the Iſl­
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              ands, the Road is made double, and in the
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              Middle of it is a Row of Stones, ſtanding up
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              a Foot high like Terms to direct the Paſſen­
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              gers to go on one Side, and return on the other,
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              ſo to avoid the Inconvenience of meeting one
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              another.</s>
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              <s>To conclude, ſuch ſhould be the Ways out
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              of the City; ſhort, ſtrait, and ſecure. </s>
              <s>When
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              they come to the Town, if the City is noble
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              and powerful, the Streets ſhould be ſtrait and
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              broad, which carries an Air of Greatneſs and
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              Majeſty; but if it is only a ſmall Town or a
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              Fortification, it will be better, and as ſafe, not
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              for the Streets to run ſtrait to the Gates; but
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              to have them wind about ſometimes to the
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              Right, ſometimes to the Left, near the Wall,
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              and eſpecially under the Towers upon the
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              Wall; and within the Heart of the Town, it
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              will be handſomer not to have them ſtrait,
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              but winding about ſeveral Ways, backwards
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              and ſorwards, like the Coarſe of a River. </s>
              <s>For
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              thus, beſides that by appearing ſo much the lon­
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              ger, they will add to the Idea of the Greatneſs
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              of the Town, they will likewiſe conduce very
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              much to Beauty and Convenience, and be a
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              greater Security againſt all Accidents and
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              Emergencies. </s>
              <s>Moreover, this winding of the
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              Streets will make the Paſſenger at every Step
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              diſcover a new Structure, and the Front and
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              Door of every Houſe will directly face the
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              Middle of the Street; and whereas in larger
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              Towns even too much Breadth is unhandſome
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              and unhealthy, in a ſmall one it will be both
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              healthy and pleaſant, to have ſuch an open
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              View from every Houſe by Means of the
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              Turn of the Street.</s>
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              <s>
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              Cornelius Tacitus
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              writes, that
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              Nero
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              having
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              widened the Streets of
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              Rome,
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              thereby made the
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              City hotter, and therefore leſs healthy; but in
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              other Places, where the Streets are narrow, the
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              Air is crude and raw, and there is a continual
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              Shade even in Summer. </s>
              <s>But further; in our
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              winding Streets there will be no Houſe but
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              what, in ſome Part of the Day, will enjoy
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              ſome Sun; nor will they ever be without
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              gentle Breezes, which whatever Corner they
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              come from, will never want a free and clear
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              Paſſage; and yet they will not be moleſted
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              by ſtormy Blaſts, becauſe ſuch will be broken
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              by the turning of the Streets. </s>
              <s>Add to all
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              theſe Advantages, that if the Enemy gets into
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              the Town, he will be in Danger on every Side,
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              in Front, in Flank, and in Rear, from Aſſaults
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              from the Houſes. </s>
              <s>So much for the publick
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              Streets. </s>
              <s>The private ones ſhould be like the
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              publick; unleſs there be this Difference, that
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              they be built exactly in ſtrait Lines, which will
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              anſwer better to the Corners of the Building,
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              and the Diviſions and Parts of the Houſes.
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              </s>
              <s>The Ancients in all Towns were for having
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              ſome intricate Ways and turn-again Streets,
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              without any Paſſage through them, that if an
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              Enemy comes into them, he may be at a Loſs,
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              and be in Confuſion and Suſpence; or if he
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              puſhes on daringly, may be eaſily deſtroyed.
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              </s>
              <s>It is alſo proper to have ſmaller ſhort Streets,
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              running croſs from one great Street to another;
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              not to be as a direct publick Way, but only
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              as a Paſſage to ſome Houſe that fronts it;
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              which will both give Light to the Houſes, and
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              make it more difficult for an Enemy to over­
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              run all Parts of the Town.</s>
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              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
                <expan abbr="q.">que</expan>
              Curtius
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              writes that
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              Babylon
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              was divided
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              into a great Number of ſeparate Quarters, and </s>
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