General Rules of Architecture

FOURTH BOOK ###

The diversity of inventions sometimes leads the Architect to decide on things that perhaps never even crossed his mind. For this reason, the figure shown below will provide much convenience and utility to buildings according to the circumstances that might befall the Architect. For instance, in the wall of a fortress, even if the walls are of a good thickness, by constructing this work on the interior side, it would first serve as a loggiaa covered exterior gallery or corridor to remain under cover. It would also make the walkway above wider and more convenient for defense; and in the event of a batteryoriginal: "batteria"; an artillery assault or bombardment, for greater safety, all the openingsoriginal: "uani"; the recessed spaces or voids within the structure could be filled in and made solid.

It might also happen that the Architect must build near a mountain. There, to protect the site from said mountain—because of the waters that continually run down from the rains and carry soil to the lower parts—it is necessary to buttress against the mountain with a similar structure. Through this, one would not only be secured against such risks but would also add great ornament to the building. Raphael of Urbino made use of such an invention at Monte Mario just above Rome, at the Vignaliterally "vineyard," but used in Renaissance Rome to describe a grand suburban villa and its gardens of Clement VII, which Raphael began while the Pope was still a Cardinal. Girolamo Genga, at the Imperial Hill outside of Pesaro, used this same invention near a beautiful building for the convenience of his patron; he used it to support a water cistern, also leaning against a mountain, but executed in very delicate brickworkoriginal: "opera lateritia"; masonry made of fired bricks.