ARCHITECTURA CIVIL RECTA Y OBLIQUA: A CRITICAL READING Maria Elisa Navarro Morales School of Architecture, McGill University November 2012 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Maria Elisa Navarro Morales 2012 Abstract Architectura civil recta y obliqua: A Critical Reading Juan Caramuel de Lobkowitz (1606 – 1682) occupies a prominent role in the intellectual milieu of Early Modern Europe. The work of this Spanish polymath spans many disciplines. Caramuel is notably recognized today as one of the main exponents of his time in the fields of moral theology, as well as the author of the first mathematical encyclopedia. Caramuel’s influence in religious and political matters can be asserted in the context of the history of the Spanish empire in Central Europe during the seventeenth century. In architecture, Caramuel’s contribution is a theoretical approach, in the form of an architectural treatise; a physical manifestation of his ideas survives in the facade he designed and built for the Duomo in the Italian town of Vigevano. Despite the significance of the work and of Caramuel’s role, there has been no comprehensive consideration of his 1678 – 1679 architectural treatise Architectura civil recta y obliqua in the contemporary literature. This dissertation provides a first exhaustive description of the treatise. On the assumption that the order in which ideas are presented in the treatise is significant to their understanding, the present work respects the original structure of the text. “Architectura civil recta y obliqua: A Critical Reading” is not a translation: the description contained in the present study paraphrases Caramuel and therefore entails a first degree of interpretation; a second interpretive level is offered in the accompanying commentary, in which possible motivations for Caramuel’s theory are discussed. The thorough reading of Architectura civil recta y obliqua this study presents broadens the existing discussion on Caramuel’s ideas on architecture. It emphasizes the relationship between the Early Modern period and our own modernity, particularly the role of history as a way of orienting the practice of architecture; the social and political dimensions of the practice; its power to effect societal reform; and the ethical responsibility of the architect. Résumé Architectura civil recta y obliqua : Une perspective critique Juan Caramuel de Lobkowitz (1606 – 1682) a joué un rôle important dans le milieu intellectuel européen du dix-septième siècle. Par ses œuvres, ce polymathe espagnol a touché à plusieurs disciplines. Caramuel est notamment connu aujourd’hui comme l’une principales des figures de son époque en théologie morale, ainsi qu’en tant qu’auteur de la première encyclopédie mathématique. L’influence religieuse et politique de Caramuel est évidente dans le contexte de l’histoire de l’empire espagnol en Europe centrale durant le début de l’époque moderne. En architecture, la contribution majeure de Caramuel est son approche théorique, sous forme d’un traité sur l’architecture. Des manifestations concrètes de son travail comme architecte survivent également dans la façade du Duomo à Vigevano, en Italie, dont il est responsable de la conception et de la construction. Malgré l’importance des œuvres et de la position de Caramuel, son traité d’architecture Architectura civil recta y obliqua (1678 – 1679) n’a eu que peu d’attention de la part d’académiciens et d’architectes contemporains. Cette thèse est la première description exhaustive du traité. Étant donné la signification de l’ordre dans lequel Caramuel présente ses idées dans Architectura civil recta y obliqua, notre perspective critique suit la structure du texte. « Architectura civil recta y obliqua : Une perspective critique » n’est pas une traduction : cet essai offre une paraphrase du texte original, ce qui est en soit un premier degré d’interprétation, et propose de plus un commentaire critique en parallèle, qui explore entre autre les objectifs de la théorie de Caramuel. Cette lecture critique approfondie de Architectura civil recta y obliqua cherche à ouvrir la discussion sur les idées de Caramuel dans le domaine de l’architecture, en soulignant les liens entre le début de l’époque moderne et le présent, en particulier le rôle de l’histoire comme ligne directrice en architecture, les dimensions sociales et politiques de l’art et la responsabilité morale de l’architecte. Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the wise guidance of my supervisor Alberto Pérez-Gómez who over many years encouraged and fuelled my passion for architectural history. I would also like to thank my dissertation committee: Louis Brillant for his generosity and insight into obscure religious matters, and Ricardo Castro, who, with his positive attitude, showed me how to enjoy my work. At the History and Theory of Architecture program at McGill University I had the fortune of working with incredibly talented and inspiring people who contributed to making the journey unforgettable: Michael Jemtrud, Louise Pelletier, Negin Djavaherian, Ron Jelaco, Lian Chang, Jason Crow, Paul Holmquist, Angeliki Sio- li, Zubin Singh, Diana Cheng, and many others. In my research I have also benefited from the support of institutions and their de- voted staff, who have provided invaluable help. The librarians and staff at the McGill University libraries, especially in the Rare Books and Special Collection Division, endured my visits with patience. The Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) sup- ported my research through grants and scholarships. The Archivio storico dioce- sano and Archivio storico comunale in the city of Vigevano, which opened the doors of their collections to my inquiries. The School of Architecture at Dalhousie University and its faculty believed in the value of my research. Special thanks to Katia Grubisic for her careful editing. This dissertation is built on the existing scholarship of those before me who rec- ognized the value of Caramuel’s work. In particular I want to thank Doctor Petr Dvořák for organizing the Caramuel conference in Prague in 2006, where I had the opportunity to meet those few scholars who currently work on restoring Caramuel’s legacy. Special thanks to Professor Daniele Sabaino for his help in deciphering Caramuel’s Latin and for his time guiding me through the archives at Vigevano. Finally, I would like to thank my family—my father for his love and eternal en- couragement and my sisters for their unconditional support and practical advice. Roland, I would like to thank you too for showing me the bigger picture, and for making this effort worthy. ARCHITECTURA CIVIL RECTA Y OBLIQUA: A CRITICAL READING INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1 – GOD’S MODEL FOR ARCHITECTURE 24 On the importance of knowing different disciplines and the superiority of architecture 23 The Temple of Jerusalem, a model for architecture 24 On the ages of the world 26 The Temple as model of military architecture 32 Detailed description of the Temple 35 The proportions and dimensions of its parts 37 The quality of the material and craftsmanship 46 The obliquity of the Temple 48 The destruction of the temple 49 CHAPTER 2 – PRELIMINARY ARTS AND SCIENCES AN ARCHITECT MUST KNOW 59 The education of an architect 59 On the literary arts and sciences an architect must know 62 A cursus mathematicus for the architect 69 Arithmetic 70 Logarithmic 73 Geometry 77 On the different kinds of knowledge 86 CHAPTER 3 – THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF ARCHITECTURE 95 A book for architects and patrons 95 Architecture: the art of building 97 Architecture: “A most noble art” 105 CHAPTER 4 – STRAIGHT ARCHITECTURE 1 124 Columns: The object of architecture 124 The orders of columns 131 The Jerusalemite order 132 The classical orders 141 Additional orders 146 The use of traditional columns in modern times 153 The Ionic volute 156 Probabilism as a method for architecture 162 CHAPTER 5 – OBLIQUE ARCHITECTURE 171 The origin of Oblique Architecture 173 A method for drawing Oblique Architecture 177 Declination 178 Circular plan 184 Inclination 187 The cases of obliquity 193 Declination – obliquity in plan 193 Circular plan 198 The columns of an elliptic plan – A case of circular arrangement 203 Inclination – Obliquity in elevation 214 Obliquity in plan and elevation – Circular staircases 233 Oblique arches 236 Entasis 241 The flutes of a column 250 Doors and keys 254 CHAPTER 6 – ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCES THAT ACCOMPANY AND ADORN ARCHITECTURE 262 Painting, physiognomy and statuary and the issue of visual communication 263 Architectural representation – Ichnographia, orthographia, sciographia 269 Perspective 270 Music 282 Two types of architecture 285 Astronomy 285 Military architecture 291 CHAPTER 7 – THE WORKS OF MEN 302 The seven wonders of the ancient world 303 Other marvellous ancient works 312 Roman architecture 317 Saint Peter’s basilica and square 326 Spanish works 331 CONCLUSION 343 Bibliography 351 ARCHITECTURA CIVIL RECTA Y OBLIQUA: A CRITICAL READING Introduction Born in Madrid in 1606, Juan Caramuel was the son of a Luxembourg engineer and a Bohemian noble. Caramuel’s father was under the service of the Empire. He was Caramuel’s first teacher and instilled in the young Caramuel a love for math- ematics that, together with the son’s passion for language, would constitute the obsessions driving his work. Born into a trilingual household, by the end of his life Caramuel had mastered over twenty languages. After completing his studies in his native Spain and receiving his doctorate in theology at the University of Louvain, Caramuel was ordained a Cistercian monk. In a religious order that re- mained removed from the intellectual debates of the time, Caramuel was without a doubt an exception. He was in correspondence with some of the most important figures of his time, such as the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher, with whom he shared many interests.