The representation of the staircase is part of the more general theme of architectural drawing. Since ancient times, the designing of the staircase has been worthy of attention, due to both its useful function in overcoming the differences in floors as well as the not immediate mental visualization for articulated spatial solutions; as a consequence, its graphic representation is just as difficult. It has therefore been interesting to investigate this theme by researching it in the Italian treatises that, from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, both in literal and graphic form, welcomed and manifested the debate on the designing of staircases.The aforementioned theme was carried out through the analysis of the sources contained in the treaties of Serlio, Palladio, Vignola (commented by Danti), Scamozzi, Guarini and Vittone. Working through the similarities and differences, the ways of describing the staircase have been highlighted and the results placed in the historical-scientific contexts of reference in relation to the geometric coding of the methods of representation. Without prejudice to the common use of drawing as a conceptual conception of visual synthesis, aimed at creativity, knowledge and communication, the reading of the sources has confirmed, on the part of the treatises, the existence of a critical choice of the most appropriate geometric methods of representation (although not yet scientifically co-dified) or exemptions from them to better describe the spatial qualities of a complex architectural element such as the staircase.
La rappresentazione della scala si inquadra nel più generale tema del disegno di architettura. Sin dall’antichità il progetto della scala è stato degno di attenzione, sia per l’utile funzione nel superare dislivelli, sia per la non immediata visualizzazione mentale per articolate soluzioni spaziali; di conseguenza, altrettanto faticosa è apparsa la sua rappresentazione grafica. Pertanto, in ragione di ciò, si è trovato interessante esaminare questo tema ricercandolo all’interno della trattatistica italiana che, dal XVI al XVIII secolo, sia in forma letterale che grafica, ha accolto e manifestato il dibattito sul progetto delle scale.Il suddetto tema è stato svolto tramite la disamina delle fonti contenute nei trattati di Serlio, Palladio, Vignola (commentato da Danti), Scamozzi, Guarini e Vittone. Operando per analogie e differenze, le modalità di descrizione della scala sono state evidenziate e gli esiti collocati nei contesti storico-scientifici di riferimento in relazione alla codificazione geometrica dei metodi di rappresentazione. Fermo restante il comune uso del disegno come tramite concettuale di sintesi visiva finalizzato alla creatività, alla conoscenza e alla comunicazione, la lettura delle fonti ha avvalorato, da parte dei trattatisti, l’esistenza di una scelta critica dei più adeguati metodi geometrici di rappresentazione (seppure non ancora scientificamente codificati) o delle deroghe agli stessi per meglio descrivere le qualità spaziali di un complesso elemento architettonico come la scala.
La rappresentazione della scala nella trattatistica italiana dal XVI al XVIII secolo | The Representation of Staircases in Italian Treatises from the Sixteenth to Eighteenth Centuries
Vincenzo Cirillo
2018
Abstract
The representation of the staircase is part of the more general theme of architectural drawing. Since ancient times, the designing of the staircase has been worthy of attention, due to both its useful function in overcoming the differences in floors as well as the not immediate mental visualization for articulated spatial solutions; as a consequence, its graphic representation is just as difficult. It has therefore been interesting to investigate this theme by researching it in the Italian treatises that, from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, both in literal and graphic form, welcomed and manifested the debate on the designing of staircases.The aforementioned theme was carried out through the analysis of the sources contained in the treaties of Serlio, Palladio, Vignola (commented by Danti), Scamozzi, Guarini and Vittone. Working through the similarities and differences, the ways of describing the staircase have been highlighted and the results placed in the historical-scientific contexts of reference in relation to the geometric coding of the methods of representation. Without prejudice to the common use of drawing as a conceptual conception of visual synthesis, aimed at creativity, knowledge and communication, the reading of the sources has confirmed, on the part of the treatises, the existence of a critical choice of the most appropriate geometric methods of representation (although not yet scientifically co-dified) or exemptions from them to better describe the spatial qualities of a complex architectural element such as the staircase.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
