CONTENTS

PUBLISHER' S NOTE
First published in 1949 as volume 19 of the Studies of the Warburg lnstiiLtte . Second edition
published by Alec Tiranti Ltd in 1952, followed by a third revised edition in 1962. Reprinted
by Academy Editions in I 973. Fourth edition published in I 988 in a new format and with
plates re-numbered and integrated within the text. It included a selection from hitherto unpublished lectures and essays on proportion by Professor Wittkower kind ly given to us by
his widow. Sections fro m each manu. cri pt had been combi ned and edi ted into one integrated
essay entitled Proportion in Art and Architecture which was reproduced as Appendix IV.
This fifth edition is intended to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the book.

PART I

TH E CENTRALLY PLANN ED C H URCH AND THE RE;NA ISSANCE

I.
2.
3.
4.
5.

PART II

I.
2.
3.
4.
5.

PART III

From ispiece: Andrea Palladia, Palazzo Civena, Vicenza, project fo r the

(The British Architectural Library, RJBA , Lo ndon)

I.
2.
3.
4.

The Architect as ' uo mo universale': Palladio. Trissino and Barbaro .... ..... .... .... .... . .. ...... .. ... ... .. ....
Pa lladia's Geomet ry: The Villas ....... .. .. ... ...... ... ... .. .... ..... .... ..... .... ... . .... ... ........ .... .. .. . .. ... .. .. ..
Palladio and Classical A rchi tecture: Palaces and Pu blic Buildings ..... ... ... ...... ... ... .. .. ... ........ .. ... ... .
T he Genesis of an Idea : Palladia 's Church Fa~ades .. ..... .. .. .. ... .. ... .... . .. . . .. ... ... .... ... .. ... .... ........ ...
5. Pallad ia's Opt ical and Psychological Concepts: II Redentore ..... ....... .. ... ... ..... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .... . ...

Copyright 1949, 1952, 1962, 1973, 1988, 1998 Academy Group Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of thi s publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system , or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, e lectronic, mechan ical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwi se, except under the terms of the Copyrig ht, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by
the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, UK, WI P 9 HE, wi thout the
permission in wri ting of the publisher.

60
67
75
89
97

I.
2.
3.
4.

Fra ncesco G iorgi's Platonic Programme fo r S. Francesco della Vign a .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ....... .. .. ..... ..... ... . 104
The Mean Proportiona ls and A rchitecture ... .... . ... .... ..... ...... ... ..... ... .. ... ..... .. ....... .. .. .. ... . .. .. ... . . 107
A lbert i's Generat ion' of Ratios .. .. ... ...... ..... .. ... ... .... .. .. .. ... .. .. ..... .. ..... ..... ..... .. .... .. ..... . .. ..... .. I l l
Musica l Co nsonances and the Visual Arts .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. ... .... . ... .. .. .. ... ... ..... ... . .... ... ..... .. ..... ... .. 113
5. Palladi a 's 'fugal' System of Propo rtion .... .. ... ... ... . .. ........ ... ... ... .. .... ....... ....... .. ........ ...... . .. ..... . 119
6. Palladia's Ratios and t he Develo pment of Sixteenth-Century Musical Theory ...... .. ... .. ... ...... .. ..... .. 123
7. T he Break-away from the Laws of Ha rmonic Pro portion in Architecture . .... ........ ....... .. . ..... .. ... ... . 130

ACA DEMY EDITIONS

IS BN 0-47 1-97763-2

41
43
47
51
59

PART TV T HE PROBLEM OF HARM ON IC PROPORTIO N IN ARC HITECTURE

Publ i hed in Great Britain in 1998 by

a di visio n of
JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD
Baffins Lane
Chichester
West Sussex PO 19 IUD

The Col umn in Albe rti's Theory a nd Practice ... ... .. ..... ...... ... ..... ..... ... . .... .. ..... .. .. .. ... ... ....... .. ....
S. Francesco at Rim ini ..... ..... ..... ...... .... ... .... .. .... .. .... ..... .. ..... ... . ......... .. ... ..... ....... . .. .. ... .. .. ...
S. Maria avella .. ..... ...... ... .... .. .. .... ... ... ... ... ..... . .. ... .. ........ ...... .. .... ... .. ........ .... .. ... ... .. ... .... .
S. Sebasti ana and S. Andrea at Man tua ..... ... .. .. ....... .... ....... . ..... ... .... ... .. .. . ... .... ... .... .. .. ... ... .....
The Change in Alberti's Interpretatio n of Classical A rchitecture ... .... .... ... ... .. .... .. .... .... .. ... .. ..... ...

PRINCIPLES OF PALLADIO'S ARCHITECTURE

fa~ade.

Cover design: Mario Bettella, Artmedia, Lo ndon

16
22
29
31
38

ALBERTI'S APPROACH TO ANTIQUITY IN ARCHITECTURE

From cover: Andrea Palladia, Palazzo Chieri cati, Vicenza, detail of the fa~ade.
(The Mansell Collectio n, London)
Back cover: Leonardo da Vi nc i, Vitruvian figure.
(Accademia, Venice)

A lberti"s Programmeof thc ldcaiChurch ..... .. ...... .. . ..... .... .... .. ... .... .. . .. .. . ...... .... ... .. , . .. .. .... ... ...
Central ized C hurches in Late r Architectural Theory ... . ... .. . ...... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .... ... ..... .... ..... .. .. .....
Bui lding Practice: S. Ma ria delle Carceri .. ..... .. ... ..... .......... ..... .... .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. ..... .. .. ... . ... .... .
Bramante a nd Palladia ... ... .. ... .... .. .... ..... ..... ..... .. .. ..... ... . ..... ... ..... .. .. . .. ..... ... ... .. .. . .... ... . .. .... .
The Rel igious Symbolism of Cent rally Pla nned C hurches .. ..... .... ... .. .... . ... .. ...... .. .. ... ... .. .... .. .. .....

APPENDIX
APPEN DIX
APPENDIX
APPENDIX

I
II
Til
IV

Francesco G io rgi's Memorand um forS . Francesco de lla Vigna ..... ... ........ ..... ... .... .... . ...... . .......
The Problem of the Commensurability of R atios in the Re na issance .. ..... . .... .. ... . .... ..... .. .. ... .. ... ..
Bibliogra phica l o tes o n the Theory of Proportion . ... ..... ... .. .... ... .... . .... . .... .... ...... .. . ...... ........
Propo rtio n in Art and Architecture: an amalgamation of
previo usly unpublishe d lectures by Professor W ittko wer
Part I: The Need for Order ...... .. .. ... ... .. ..... .. ... ... ... ... ..... ... . ...... .. ..... .. .. .... .... .. .. .. .. ... . .. ....
Part II: Origins o f Western P roportional Syste ms . .. ... ... . .... .. .. ... .. ..... . ... ..... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. . ...... ..
Part III : G eometry and Mediaeval Proportio ns .... . ... .. .. .. .. ... ..... ... ........ ... .. .. .. .. ...... . .. ... .. .. ....
Part IV: Re naissance Proportio ns and Commensurability .... .. .... .. ... .. .. ... ..... ... ....... .. .. ..... ..... .
Part V: Post-Re naissa nce Proportio ning - Dile mmas a nd Possibilit ies . .. . .. ..... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .... .

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ISO
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INDEX .. ... ... ... ..... ..... .. ...... ... .. ...... ...... .... ... .. ..... .. .. ..... ...... ..... .... ...... ... ... ..... ...... . .... AA.J.IBRAR."Y,

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