Renaissance Architecture

ARCHITECTURAL ORDERS

How many are the architectural orders? Which kind should we use? How should we use

them? How can we use their elements? Can we mix them? Can we use more than one

and how?

For many years these questions were critical because orders were considered the rout

of architecture. They were used to give a meaning (example: no Doric order in

churches dedicated to the Virgin because Doric was considered more masculine, but in

antiquity was not).

Orders are a product of history, defined by a set of elements, rules and uses which

changes in time.

They are 5. In modern history they are a recreation based on the antique. They are re-

created and actually don’t have a connection with antiquity. Orders are historical

recreation of the Renaissance.

“Rule of 5 orders of architecture”

Vignola, 1520-1530 - it gives a complete

system of the orders.

Experimentation on orders and on interpretation of Vitruvius orders, but with a fixed

idea.

Vitruvius idea of orders is quite different from our conception: with the orders he

identified the entire building. For Vitruvius there are 4 manners of designing the

orders.

These represent different modes of expressing architecture but are not very cheap, so

we have different interpretation during the Renaissance.

Most things that Vignola says are not so coherent with roman ruins, which are richer in

decorations and use orders in a different way. People in Renaissance had to deal with

it.

Vignola’s system was more similar to the porch of the Pantheon (sacred building,

columnade, lintel etc)

Roman’s ruin: post and lintel, but orders not applied on the structure, they had a more

decorative function. Example: Coluseum + superimposition of orders on the same

façade.

Vignola doesn’t speak about more orders in the same façade and mixing of orders.

Alberti – question of orders.

He didn’t get to a definition of a system. For him orders are liked to columns, base and

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capital. He is the first talking about the 5 order which he calls composite or italic

order (it is created by mixing elements of other orders).

Sant’Andrea, Mantova: no clear classification of Albertian capitals or orders, no

clear logic in proportions; example: shaft of columns with respect to the base it is

always different in Alberti’s works.

The proportion as a whole is still more important than the proportion of single

elements.

Study of proportions – series of painting about ideal cities: looking at single buildings

they are not proportioned. No common rule yet!!

The first architectural theorist on orders who states that orders can be defined by a

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closed system is Sebastiano Serlio (first half 16 century): he published the

first synoptic tables!

He is ambiguous; he makes a project of 10 books on architecture, assigning the orders

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to the 4 book, as Vitruvius, but he published it first.

In his book we see the first systematic approach on architectural orders; he tries to

give a common system for architecture.

He talks about the orders but he refers to the as the 5 manners of buildings: he still

calls it in the Vitruvian way and declares that most of what he says correspond to

Vitruvius. BUT the synoptic table is something completely new (capital, entablature

(which can be divided into 3 parts), column, pedestal all with different properties

according to the order) (1537).

His book will be translated in 4 languages, is the most published, after Vignola, for

more than a century.

1562 – Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola publishes a set of images with short

specification and text attached: “Regola dei 5 ordini di architettura”; used as

structural elements or applied elements, combination of elements, each element of

the orders have different proportions.

(written Alberti – wood cuts Serlio – copper hatching Vignola → high quality, last

longer)

Orders can be used structurally or as ornaments; when we use an order in columns,

then the order proportion defines the façade. The modulo of the order is the radius or

semi-diameter of colum at the foot of the column. The dimension of every element can

be defined by knowing the modulo (all fractions of modulo). In this way (modulo) are

independent from the scale, the important thing is to maintain the proportions. After

proportions are calculated then some changes can be made.

Used inside a hall they will end up by defining indirectly also the internal space, but

mostly for the façade. Interesting: orders don’t work with subdivision of simple

geometry; orders have their proportions and architecture has to adapt to them.

With Serlio and Vignola orders are put in a sequence which will remain the same for 3

centuries and which also probably stated the way they mixed them.

Vignola gives the way to draw all the orders, reason why he had so many editions

(550).

Difficulty of putting one order over the other in a façade, because also dimension of

arches changes, but this is not part of Vignola.

Palazzo of Villa Farnese - he uses the orders in a spectacular way showing that he

had found a quite fixed system. th

This is the system of expression the characterized all the architecture till 19 century

in eastern world (Europe + USA). This system was built up during a century, from

Brunelleschi to Vignola. th

The use of orders as the Greeks will be considered just around 17 century; Vitruvius

will not remain the main reference.

CONTEXT th

State of Milan, Duke of Sforza family, Ducato di Milano, II half of 15 century

Milan is mostly under Sforza, after was conquered by France in 1499. Sforza was one

of the major political players in Italy. Milan was an important commerce passage and

important artistic and architectural center.

Both Bramante and Leonardo Da Vinci pass from Milan.

Works in Milan had enormous influence, because it was a place of passage, also in

France (France Renaissance is deeply influenced by Milan). Due to the impression

made by the works of Da Vinci he was called as first engineer for the king of France.

Very established architecture and building traditions; best stone-cutters and important

renaissance and baroque architects come from Milan.

Here different materials from central Italy are used: brickworks, terracotta, marble

from Alps near Milan.

Duomo of Milan – main laboratory in northern Italy (uninterrupted building site)from

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middle of ‘300 to 18 century; façade from 19 century.

Enormous church → constructive problems. The problem of façade remained open till

almost contemporary times. The inside organization is strictly gothic, no antique

model.

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16 century important architectures around Milan follow models of central Italy.

GIOVANNI ANTONIO AMEDEO

Certosa di Pavia, 1481 – monastery, it was already existing, inside is gothic but the

façade is in renaissance style. Most of the Milanese architects, painters and sculptures

were involved in it – the main lines of the design are simple, but the façade has a

scattered look due to the sculptures.

Characteristic role of ornaments→ the quantity of ornaments prevails over the

structure. Statues all around the façade linked to architectural part; gothic use of

ornaments which are inspired by the antique. Gothic in the sense of “need of filling up

every empty space”. Single elements come from antique, Florentine tradition,

Brunelleschi and Alberti (there is a small influence of Venitian gothic and Bizantine

architecture).

Strong presence of gothic taste + influence of central Italy + Venice gothic ≠ Santa

Maria Novella where there is a rich decoration but clearly defined structure. Same

portal, both arch and order BUT in Certosa the windows have the same importance of

pillars which host statues (structure + decoration).There are pinnacols, from gothic

architecture. Multiple arches, which are round, as antique tradition, but are an

experimentation of multiple openings of gothic tradition. NO clear structural

definition; structure is defined by ornaments and not by orders. Renaissance influence

is everywhere, but not clearly defined due to the high use of antique ornaments. The

loggia is from antiquity. The sides are not in clear relationship with the central part,

combination of different elements. Every ornament comes from antiquity, but the way

they are used is different from renaissance tradition.

The interior is gothic: ribbed vaults, poli-lobed pillars (= every structural element goes

down and together form the pillar). Amedeo is more a sculpture than an architect.

Cappella Colleoni 1470s Bergamo – it represent the link between Lombardy,

Tuscany and Venice traditions. It has a high octagonal drum with a dome and a

lantern, which derive from Florence cathedral.

Is a very rich chapel for the cathedral. The structure of the chapel is very simple, but

the simplicity of structure is cancelled by the complexity of decorations. The elements

seem to float on the wall. Pinacols without structural value, just decorative. (In a

gothic structure pinacols are developed as structural mean to provide vertical load to

prevent moving or opening of the walls. In the chapel the pinacol is simply

decorative.). The façade shows decorative elements triumphing over mathematical

proportions.Every part is decorated, even the interior of the rose window.

The 3 most influential Florentine artists which worked in Milan were Michelozzo,

Leonardo da Vinci and Filarete.

MICHELOZZO

Castello Sforzesco, Milan 1460s – it shows Florentine forms combined with Gothic

decorative elements

FILARETE (Antonio Averlino)

We have similar combinations between antique and gothic traditions in Filarete’s

works.

His earliest surviving major work is the bronze doors of the Old Saint Peter.

He arrived in Lombardy in 1456 where he began to built the Ospedale Maggiore, which

is now part of the University of Milan. He gave the project for this hospital in the

design of a city invented by him: Sforzinda. Before beginning the design he visited two

great hospitals: the hospital of Florence and the one of Siena.

Ospedale Maggiore – The building was planned as a cross in a square, with the

hospital church standing in the center of the design and being itself a central plan

building. This church had tower on each angle, as Portinari Chapel of Michelozzo. Also

in Filarete work we see that he tried to impose classical forms on the Gothic-mind

craftsmen, but he failed.

So again we have a combination of classical and gothic elements.

Brunelleschi’s portico (Ospedale degli Innocenti) with a fully gothic first floor: bifore,

terracotta mouldings, pointed arches BUT at the center of the façade there is an

antique fully developed order which frame two windows.

(Antique + gothic → tipical of Lombardy architecture and Venice architecture.)

Bricks and terracotta were also materials for decorati