The Ten Books on Architecture

BOOK I.

CHAP. I.

A The reason is that, in order to forget nothing of what he has to do, he must keep good records, and for this purpose, know how to write well. He must know how to draw so that he can more easily execute all the works he plans based on the designs he has traced. Geometry is also of great help to him, particularly to teach him how to properly use the Ruler and the Compass, and to take alignments and set all things to the Square and the Level. Optics serves him in knowing how to capture light and make openings appropriately according to the position of the Sky. Arithmetic is for the calculation of
* the expense of the works he undertakes, and to regulate the measures and proportions which are sometimes better found by calculation than by Geometry. History provides him with the subject matter for most of the ornaments of Architecture, for which he must be able to give an account.
** For example, if beneath the Corbels and Cornices, instead of Columns, he places
B marble Statues in the form of decently dressed women, which are called Caryatids These are sculpted female figures serving as architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar.; he will be able

* WHICH ARE SOMETIMES BETTER FOUND BY CALCULATION. The division made by calculation and explained by figures is much better and more reliable than that made by the compass, both for the distribution of all the parts of a building when one wants to design it, and for giving it to the workers to execute.

* THE CORBELS. I have interpreted original: "Mutules" by the French word Corbeaux Corbels and not Modillons Modillions, which is Italian and signifies the same thing; although they are distinguished, and Mutules are for the Doric order only, just like Triglyphs A tablet in a Doric frieze with three vertical grooves., as is taught in Chapter 2 of Book 4; and these Modillions are a word put into use by the moderns for the Mutules of the other orders. The Corbels or Mutules marked C A A, and the Modillions marked H H, are generally projecting pieces that support the Cornice, and which are said to represent the ends of rafters cut and mutilated, as will be explained hereafter in Book 4.

A detailed architectural technical diagram showing the profiles and constituent parts of classical entablatures and a column capital. The top left section depicts a Doric cornice with labels AA (Mutules), B (Cymatium), C (Talon), D (Fillet), and E (Fascia). The right side features a different order profile with labels F (Corona), G (Drip), H (Modillions), I (Cyma Recta), K, L (Echinus), M (Neck), N (Astragal), and ND (Indentation). The bottom section illustrates the moldings of a column capital labeled P, O, Q, R, S.

AA. The Corbels, Mutules, or Modillions of the Doric order.
B. This molding member in the upper part of the Cornice of the Doric order, just like member L in the upper part of the Corinthian, is properly called Cimace Cymatium, and Sima by Vitruvius. It is particularly called Cimace by Workers, and Cymatium Doricum by Vitruvius.
CC. This member on its own is called Talon Ogee; being joined with the fillet D, it is called Cimace, and Cymatium by Vitruvius.
DD. Filet Fillet, Orlet, or Little Square, called Supercilium by Vitruvius.
E. Platte-bande Fascia in general: in this place in the Doric frieze, it is called by Vitruvius the Capital of the Triglyph.
G. Mouchete or Larmier Dripstone, sometimes called Cornice by Vitruvius, although most often Corona signifies the entire Cornice.
HH. The Modillions of the Corinthian Order, which are called Mutules by Vitruvius, who does not distinguish them from the Mutules of the Doric Order.
I. Doucine Cyma recta, or Great Cymatium.
L. Quart de rond Quarter-round, Echine Echinus, or Ovolo, called Echinus by Vitruvius.
N. Astragale Astragal, chaplet, or bead.
ND. This member between these two letters is called Entaille Indentation, because in the Ionic order it is customary to carve it in a way that represents front teeth referring to dentils.

All these things are explained at greater length in the remainder of the Work.

* THE CORNICES. To translate the word Corona precisely here, it would have been necessary to put Larmier Dripstone, which is only a part of the Cornice and not the entire Cornice, because the entire Cornice is not above the Mutules, but only part G, which is called Mouchete in Ch. 4 of Book 4, and in French Larmier, because it is from there that the rain drips, which it prevents from flowing along the Frieze. It is also called Mouchete for this same reason. But because Corona signifies indifferently both the Dripstone and the entire Cornice, I have had regard for the intention of the Author who wanted the word Corona to mean not only the entire Cornice, but even the Frieze and the Architrave, which are parts that the Caryatids support all together, and which are vulgarly called the Crowning, Entablature, and Beam; and these three parts joined together properly make up what Vitruvius calls here Ornaments.

* OF MARBLE STATUES IN THE FORM OF WOMEN. Some remains of these kinds of ancient statues can still be seen in Rome. Montjosieu, who took much trouble to look for some marks of the Caryatids that Pliny says were placed by Diogenes the Athenian Architect to serve as Columns in the Pantheon, reports that he saw four in the remaining part, which were buried up to the shoulders on the right side of the Portico in half-relief, and which support upon their heads a kind of Architrave of the same stone. And there is reason to believe that they were above the Columns that are now inside the Temple and in the place of the Pilasters of the Attic which is upon these columns. The common opinion being that this Attic is a work that was added recently and which is more modern than the rest. One can also see in Bordeaux, in a very ancient and very magnificent building called the Tuteles, these kinds of Caryatids which are statues almost in half-relief, nine feet high, placed upon 17 columns 42 feet high which remain of the 24 there once were. These Caryatids number 34, being both inside and outside the Building.