Venice & Vitruvius : reading Venice with Daniele Barbaro and Andrea Palladio / Margaret Muther D'Evelyn.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 435-475) and index.

Introduction -- Composing the commentaries. The arrival of the Italian Renaissance illustrated architectural book -- Reading Venice -- Building in Venice without proper foundations -- Open doors and welcoming atria -- Well-lighted windows -- Roofs -- Bricks that swim -- The city as theater -- Literary light.

In about 35-25 B.C.E., the Roman architect Vitruvius produced his encyclopaedic ten-book summary of the principles of Hellenistic architecture, "De architectura" ("On Architecture"). These ideas have stimulated architects ever since. In the mid-16th century, the architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) and the humanist Daniele Barbaro (1513-1570) looked to the city of Venice in order to understand and interpret Vitruvius' text, which was still in need of clarification and which would enable them to solve contemporary architectural problems. Barbaro and Palladio found in the city's medieval and Renaissance streets, palaces, churches and towers living principles that enabled them to interpret the ancient ones. By 1556, Barbaro incorporated his and Palladio's observations into their Commentaries on Vitruvius, and two distinctly new editions for different audiences followed a decade later. -- Book jacket.