B O O K

Although the portal illustrated below differs greatly from other styles, I have chosen to include it because, in my view, it is well-suited to the Tuscan Tuscan: the simplest and sturdiest of the five classical orders, characterized by unadorned columns and a rustic appearance order and is an authentic ancient design. For a long time, this was located at the head of the Trajan original: "militia Traiana"—likely referring to the area of the Markets of Trajan or the medieval "Torre delle Milizie" built over Roman ruins barracks in Rome, though due to various ruins, it can no longer be seen there today. The two niches shown alongside are not in their original positions; however, to demonstrate the variety of niches that can be adapted to such a work, I have placed them here so that the discerning architect might make use of them, later situating them appropriately in his own designs. Their proportions will be easy for the Architect to determine using the rules provided at the beginning of this book. As for the portal itself, I will provide no specific measurements, for they can be easily found by using a compass Architects of this period used proportional dividers or a compass to scale measurements directly from the printed plates on the drawing.