De Re Aedificatoria
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De re aedificatoria (English: On the Art of Building) is a classic architectural treatise written by Leon Battista Alberti in 1450. Although largely dependent on Vitruvius' De architectura, it was the first modern theoretical book on the subject and in 1485 became the first printed book on architecture. It was followed in 1486 with the first printed addition of Vitruvius.
Alberti’s Ten Books consciously echoes Vitruvius' writing, but he also adopts a critical attitude toward his predecessor. In his discussion, Alberti includes a wide variety of literary sources, including Plato and Aristotle, presenting concise version of sociology of architecture. Unlike Vitruvius's book, Alberti's tells architects how buildings should be built, not how they were built. De re aedificatoria is subdivided into ten books and includes:
- Book One: Lineaments
- Book Two: Materials
- Book Three: Construction
- Book Four: Public Works
- Book Five: Works of Individuals
- Book Six: Ornament
- Book Seven: Ornament to Sacred Buildings
- Book Eight: Ornament to Public Secular Buildings
- Book Nine: Ornament to Private Buildings
- Book Ten: Restoration of Buildings
De Re Aedificatoria remained the classic treatise on architecture from the 16th until the 18th century.
[edit] References
- Alberti, Leon Battista. De re aedificatoria. On the art of building in ten books. (translated by Joseph Rykwert, Neil Leach, and Robert Tavernor). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1988
- Grafton, Anthony. Leon Battista Alberti: master builder of the Italian Renaissance. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000.
