Chapter XV. Of the Dorick Order

THE Dorick order had both its name and origin from the Dorians, a Greek nation in Asia. If the columns of this order are made alone, and without pilasters, they ought to be seven diameters and a half or eight in height: the intercolumniations are something less than three diameters of the column; which manner of placing columns, to form colonnades, is called by Vitruvius diastilos,

But when they are supported with pilasters, their height ought to be seventeen modules and one third, including the base and capital. And it is to be observed, as I have said before in chap. xiii. that the module in this order, only, is but half the diameter of the column divided into thirty minutes, and in all the other orders it is the whole diameter divided into sixty minutes.

No pedestal is to be seen in antient buildings to this order, although there are in the modern; therefore when a pedestal is required, the dado ought to be made square, from which the measures of all its ornaments must be taken, because it is to be divided into four equal parts; two of them shall be for the base with its zocco or plinth, and one for the cimacia, to which the orlo of the base must be joined. Some pedestals of this kind are still to be seen in the Corinthian order, at Verona, in the arch called de Leoni.

I have inserted different profiles, that may be adapted to the pedestals of this order; all of them beautiful, and taken from the antients, and measured with the utmost diligence.

This order has no base peculiar to it, which is the reason that in a great many edifices the columns are to be seen without bases: As at Rome, in the theatre of Marcellus; in the temple de la Pieta, near the said theatre; in the theatre of Vicenza; and in divers other places.

But the Attick base is sometimes joined to it, which adds very much to its beauty; and the measures are thus. The height must be half the diameter of the column, which is to be divided into three equal parts; one goes to the plinth or zocco, the other two are divided into four parts, one of which is for the upper bastone; the remaining three are again divided into two equal parts, one of which is for the lower torus, the other to the cavetto with its listello’s, therefore must be divided into six parts, the first for the upper listello, the second for the lower, and four remain for the cavetto.

The projecture is the sixth part of the diameter of the column. The cimbia is half the upper torus. If it divided from the base, its projecture is one third part of the whole procure of the base; but if the base and part of the column make one entire piece, the cimbia must be made thin: As may be seen in the third design of this order, where there are also two different sorts of imposts of arches.

A, Shaft of the column. F, Plinth or Zocco.

C, Upper Torus. H, Dado of the pedestals.

E, Lower Torus. K, Imposts of arches.

The capital ought to be in height half the diameter of the column, and is to be divided into three parts. The upper part is given to the abaco and cimacio. The cimacio is two of the five parts thereof, which must be divided into three parts; with the one the listello is made, and with the other two the gola. The second principal part is divided into three equal parts; one to be given to the annelli or annulets, or gradetti, which three are equal; the other two remain for the ovolo, which projects two thirds of its height. The third part is for the collarino.

The whole projecture is the fifth part of the diameter of the column. The astragal or tondino is as high as all the three annelli, and projets equal to the lower part of the shaft of the column. The cimbia is half the height of the astragal or tondino, and its projecture is directly plumb with the centre of the said astragal.

al aa er 18 FIRST BOOK

The x architrave is placed upon the capital, the height of which must be half the diameter of the column, that is, a module. It is divided into seven puts. With one the teniz or benda 1s made, whose projecture must be equal to its height; then the whole is again divided into six parts, one is given to the goccie, which ought to be six, and to the listello under the tenia, which is a third part of the said goccie.

From the tenia downwards the remainder is again divided into seven parts; three are to be given to the first fascia, and four to the second. ~The frize is a module and a half in height. The breadth of the triglyph is one module, and its capital the sixth part of a module. The triglyph is to be divided into six parts; two of which are for the two channels in the mid-de, one for the two half channels at the ends, and the other three for the spaces between the said channels.

The metopa, or space between triglyph and triglyph, ought to be as broad as it is high. The cornice must be 2 module and one sixth in height, and divided into five parts and a half, two of which are given to the cavetto and ovolo. The cavetto is less than the ovolo by the width of its listello. The remaining three parts and a half are to be given to the corona or cornice, which is vulgarly called gocciolatoio, and to the gola or cima rea and every.

The E corona ought to project four parts in six of the module, and have on its soffit, that looks downwards, and projects forward, six drops, or gutte, in length, and three in breadth with their listella over the triglyphs, and some roses over the metope. The gutte are round, shaped like bells, and answer to those under the tenia.

The gola must be an eighth part thicker than the corona, and divided into eight parts; two are to be given to the orlo, and six remain for the gola, whose projecture is seven parts and a half

Therefore the height of the architrave, frize and cornice is a fourth part of the altitude of the column,

These are the dimensions of the cornice, according to Vitruvius; from which I have deviated in altering some of the members, and making them somewhat larger.

A, Gola rea. H, Ametgpa.

C, Gocciolatoio or Corona. K, Goccie. D, Ovolo. L, First Fafiia. E, Cavetto. M, Second Fascia. F, Capital of the Triglyph. Y, Soft of the Gocciolatoio.

Parts of the capital. N, Cimacio. S, Astragal. O, Abaco. T, Cimbia. P, Ouob. V, Shaft of the column. Q Gradetti or Annulets. X, Plan of the capital, and the nodule R," Collarino. divided into thirty minutes.