Architecture As Talisman: the Hidden Links Between Vitruvius' Theatre and Palladio's Villa «Rotonda»
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Proceedings of the First International Congress on Construction History, Madrid, 20th-24th January 2003, ed. S. Huerta, Madrid: I. Juan de Herrera, SEdHC, ETSAM, A. E. Benvenuto, COAM, F. Dragados, 2003. Architecture as talisman: The hidden links between Vitruvius' theatre and Palladio's villa «Rotonda» Alessio Ageno Mama Frilli Giulio Camillo Delminio, one of the most renowned other classical authors, such as Ptolemy, with the aim men of the first half of the XVI century in Venice, of clarifying the most profound analogies one became famous all over Europe for having encounters in the «De Architectura»: astronomical constructed and actually built a wooden theatre with and astrological, mathematical, geometrical and the purpose of improving the power of memory. This musical analogies. theatre was full of various «images of memory», such Surprisingly enough investigation regarding the as «interior talismans», well illustrated by Frances profound significance of geometry emanating from Yates in her beautiful book The Art of Memory. the Vitruvian theatre provides us wth a key in finally Following the magic treatise Picatrix, the talisman expJaining -adopting a unitary method- and becomes an object into which one infuses life, not solving the enigma of the whole system of only by means of magic rituals, but also, as in the dimensions and reciprocal ratios among the various ancient example of Egyptian sculpture, through the room s comprising the villa, including the circular meticulous application of exact geometrical and central room. mathematical proportions. Moreover this study provides us with other Thus, the wooden theatre, into which the images of meanings in addition to those concerning the single the memory were placed, was itself a talisman; built building considered. Thus it is actually pro ved that following the proportions of Vitruvius' theatre, it was the same musical basis of proportions sets both the a real and proper talisman of the world, a «building» ratios between the dimensions of small integer with such a shape and geometric relationships that the numbers (which are fundamental in musical magnificence of the whole life of the Universe was consonances) and the geometries of the regular infused into it. polygons inscribed in a circle, «modulated» by the Vitruvius' theatre, in fact, created a vast amount of number of sides. interest in Venice throughout the XVI century, Finally, an interpretation is proposed which starting with Alvise Cornaro and Falconetto to surpasses the denial of importance of irrational ratios Barbaro and Palladio, and culminated in the Palladian in the architectural proportions of the Renaissance. project for the «Teatro Olimpico» at Vicenza. This opinion was a principal thesis in the fundamental In this paper we present an analysis of Palladio's essay Architectural Principies in the Age of masterpiece villa «Rotonda», starting from the basis Humanism by the great historian and critic Rudolf of an original investigation regarding the significance Wittkower. Moreover, the two aspects indicated by of the Vitruvian theatre. This analysis is based upon the same Wittkower, leading architectural theory of 152 A. Ageno. M. Frilli the Renaissance, are now unified. In fact the common scaena, clarior et suavior ad spectatorum perveniret musical analogy appears to be the same root of aures» (Vitruvius, V. 3). circular geometries and simple proportions. That the nature of harmonies, which regulate the theatre plan, is precisely cosmic is confirmed in the ninth book (Vitruvius, IX. 1) where the description VITRUVIUS' ANALOGICAL THEATRE concerning the division of the sun rays from one zodiacal sign to the others concords with the trigonals Of the twelve chapters contained by the 1'ifth book of (triangJes) which form the geometric base of the plan the Vitruvius' De Architectura, dedicated to public 1'ora Roman theatre. That it is metaphysical is pro ven, places and buildings, at least seven (from 3 to 9) are once again in the ninth book, by the invocation of a dedicated to the theatre; among these, two deal with di vine intellect lO explain the structure of the musical themes 1'orthe most part, while the remainder Universe (Vitruvius, IX. 11). If the echeia and the make constant references to this subject. The twelve zodiacal points, which dissect the theatre plan, particular attention given to the theatre is justified by respectively reflect the physical and metaphysical its being a perfect example of the concept which aspect 01' the sound, their chord is total when we Vitruvius has of architecture. According to this consider that it is the same range 01'musical notes (the conception a building reaches perfection when it perfect system constituted by two octaves) which appears to be epiphany of nature, in a signification to covers the echeia apparatus and the zodiacal circle which contribute the sphere of knowledge, together articulated according to the twelve tones upon which with that 01' religious sentiment. As an instrument of the Greek perfect musical system is extended. knowledge throughout the world, in addition to its Only in a building considered as a complete position occupied in thato1' man, construction permits epiphany of sound is it possible for man to the understanding and representation 01'nature. definitively take his place, with his poetry and song, Vitruvius demonstrates his own agreement with the so that this poetry and song enter inlO complete tradition of expressing the concept of an idea, which resonance with the theatre space, make it vibrate with is not just beautiful but perfect. There1'ore, both its own life. But as this space a]so represents the beauti1'ul (venustas) and true (firmitas and utilitas). figure of the cosmic nature of sound, of the musical On these grounds, the importance of ratiocinatio, and structure of the world, man, defining and being in paying tri bute to the ancient scholars and scientists tune with its own sonorous nature, the voice and the who made it their task to hand down their discoveries song, also defines his own position in the world. in writing, is understandable. This is the sense of the imaginative synthesis In this context the theatre becomes a place where focusing upon the comparison between theatre and the nature of sound is revealed: of a physical and the musical instrument -in this case an instrument of sensorial nature together with a cosmic and expression rather than one 01' knowledge: «Uti enim metaphysical nature. The established rules organa aeneis ]amminis aut corneis echeiois ad concerning the inclination angles of the cavea, the chordarum sonitum claritatem perficiuntur, sic height of the walls of the praecinctiones and the theatrorum per harmonicen ad augendam vocem acoustic instruments (echeia) apparatus situate the ratiocinationes ab antiquis sunt constitutae» sensitive nature 01' sound inwards with regard to the (Vitruvius, V. 3). architectural epiphany of the cosmic nature of sound, which generates the formative geometry of the theatre. The mathematical and musical ratio regards THE HARMONIES OF THE CIRCLE both the overall geometry 01' the building and the arrangement of the acoustic instruments (echeia) The plan of the Roman type 01' theatre provides for whose value consists in its naturalness: «Ergo veteres the inscription, in a circle, of 1'our equilateral architecti naturae vestigia persecuti indagationibus triangles, so that the apex Jies upon the circumference vocis scandentis theatrorum per1'ecerunt gradationes, at equal distances, one from the other (Figure 1). et quaesierunt per canonicam mathematicorum et As a comment regarding geometric construction it is musicam rationem, ut, quaecumque vox esset in stated: « . quibus [sciJ. trigonis] etiam in duodecim Architecture as talisman 153 the theatre, the zodiacal constellations and the musical intervals. The comparison between the first two points is comparatively simple: the most evident analogy is that the theatre plan makes room for twelve apexes -the number of the zodiacal signs. In order to continue we require the assistance of an ancient astrological source: the complete affinity between the two diagrams can be found referring to Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, a work dedicated to the astrological predictions of the great astronomer of the II Seco A.D. Although post-Vitruvius, this work amounts to the total sum of ancient astrology and contains, in Figure 1 systematic form, the elements of the «immense . Generative plan of the Roman theatre according to literature which, throughout the centuries, from the Vitruvius. beginnings of Hellenism to the decline of Greek- Roman antiquity, have assisted the cause of astrology» (Boll, Bezold and Gundel 1977, 39). signorum caelestium astrologi ex musica convenientia Chapter 1. 14 of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos is dedicated astrorum ratiocinantur» (Vitruvius, V. 6). to the aspects of zodiacal signs (radiationes, This brief passage should be considered in relation suschematizomena or schematismoi), i.e. to one ofthe to that disclosed in 1. 1, where it is stated: «Similiter various types of affinity or reciprocal relationships cum astrologis et musicis est disputatio communis de between the signs. In order to understand how these sympathia stellarum et symphoniarum, in quadratis et aspects arise, we must consider the twelve trigonis, diatessaron et diapente, . » (Vitruvius, l. 1). constellations equidistant on a circumference. The There are numerous ideas and problems which simplest aspect is the opposition, in other words two refer to these few lines of De Architectura; almost a signs connected by a diameter; the others are the glimmer opening upon a vast and articolated galaxy trigonal, three signs to three apexes of an equilateral of thoughts and conceptions, which represented a triangle (Figure 2); the tetragonal, four signs on four common patrimony for various cultures, despite apexes on a square (Figure 3); the sextile, six signs on diverging differences, both in time and space. the apexes of a hexagon (Figure 4). The first matter to be clarified is the nature of the It is evident that the geometric plan of the Roman relationship between the geometric constructions of theatre is the same as that of the trigonals.