BOOK ONE. 1

...in the drawing, in which the stones are seen arranged and linked together, as it seems to me it should be done when it is made of stone. I have also observed this in making the drawings of the other four orders. This method of arranging and binding the stones together I have taken from many ancient arches, as will be seen in my book on Arches Palladio planned a separate treatise on ancient arches which was never fully realized as a standalone volume, though much of the research appeared in his later books.; and in this, I have used the greatest diligence.

The pedestals The supporting block or base under a column. that are made under the columns of this order shall be one module A unit of measurement based on the radius or diameter of the column shaft, used to ensure all parts of a building remain in proportion regardless of its actual size. high and shall be made plain. The height of the base is half the thickness of the column. This height is divided into two equal parts: one is given to the plinth original: "orlo" — the flat, square bottom part of the base, which is made with a compass; the other is divided into four parts: one is given to the fillet original: "listello" — a small, flat architectural molding, which can also be made a little less, and is otherwise called a cimbia A decorative band or ring around a column.. In this order alone, it is part of the base, because in all the others, it is part of the column shaft. The other three parts go to the torus original: "toro, ouer bastone" — a large, rounded convex molding at the base of a column.. This base has a projection of one-sixth of the column's diameter.

The capital is also half as high as the thickness of the column at its base and is divided into three equal parts. One is given to the abacus The flat slab on top of a capital., which because of its shape is commonly called the "die" original: "dado" — referring to a cube-like block.. The second part goes to the ovolo A rounded, convex molding, often shaped like an egg.. The third is divided into seven parts: one makes the fillet under the ovolo, and the other six remain for the collarino The "necking" or the space between the capital's main molding and the shaft of the column.. The astragal A small, semi-circular molding. is twice as high as the fillet under the ovolo, and its center is placed on the line that falls straight down from said fillet; the projection of the cimbia falls above this same line, and it is as thick as the fillet. The projection of this capital corresponds to the "live" part original: "viuo" — the solid vertical face or diameter of the column shaft. of the column at its base. Its architrave is made of wood, as high as it is wide, and the width does not exceed the diameter of the column at the top. The beams that make the eaves have a projection (or let us say, an overhang) of one-fourth the length of the columns. These are the measurements of the Tuscan order, as Vitruvius Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, the 1st-century BC Roman architect whose work De Architectura became the foundational text for Renaissance builders. teaches us.

But if the architraves are made of stone, one shall observe what was said above regarding intercolumniation The spacing between columns.. Some ancient buildings can be seen which may be said to be made in this order because they partly keep the same measurements, such as the Arena of Verona, the Arena and Theater of Pula, and many others. From these, I have taken the profiles of the base, the capital, the architrave, the frieze, and the cornice placed in the final plate of this chapter; as well as those of the arch imposts. I shall put the drawings of all these buildings in my books on Antiquity.

A, Upright wave molding original: "Gola diritta" — an S-shaped molding..
B, Corona The flat, vertical face of a cornice..
C, Drip-molding and upright wave molding.
D, Cavetto A hollow, concave molding..
E, Frieze.
F, Architrave.
G, Cymatium A crowning molding..
H, Abacus.                    
I, Upright wave molding.       } of the Capital.
K, Collarino (Neck).              /
L, Astragal.                 /
M, Column shaft under the capital.
N, Column shaft at the base.
O, Cimbia (Fillet) of the Column.
P, Torus and wave molding.      } of the Base.
Q, Plinth (Edge).                     } of the Base.

Level with the Architrave marked F, there is the profile of an architrave made more delicately.