Chapter I. Of the Site that ought to be chosen for the building of temples

Tuscany was not only the first to receive architecture into Italy, as a stranger, from whence the order called Tuscan had its measures; but also the things belonging to the Gods, which the greatest part of the world, led into blind error, adored. She was mistress of the neighbouring people, and shewed what sort of temples, and in what place, and with what ornaments, respecting the quality of the Gods, they ought to be built; which observations, although in many temples one may see, they have not been.considered, I shall briefly relate nevertheless, how they have been left us by writers; that such as delight in antiquity, may remain in this part satisfied, and that the mind of every one may be roused and inflamed to employ all suitable care in the building of churches; because it would be a very unseemly, anda blameable thing, that we, who have the true worship, should be out-done in this point, by those who had no light of truth,

And, because the places, in which sacred temples are to be built, are the first things that ought to be considered, I shall make mention of them in this chapter.

1 say therefore, that the antient Tuscans directed that the temples dedicated to Venus, to Mars, and to Vulcan, should be made without the city, as to those who incited men’s minds to lasciviousness, to wars, and to broils; and within the city to those that presided over chastity, over peace, and good arts; and that to such Gods, into whose care particularly the city might be put; and those to Jupiter, Juno, and to Minerva, whom they also esteemed to be protectors of the city.

Temples should be built upon very high places, in the middle of the country, and on rock. And to Pallas, to Mercury, and to Isis, because they presided over artificers and merchants, they usually built temples near the piazza’s, and sometimes over the very piazza; to Apollo, and to Bacchus near the theatre; to HERCULES near the circus, and the amphitheatre.

Those to Aesculapius, to Health Tu, and to those Gods by whose medicines they thought men recovered their health, they built in places extremely healthy, and near wholefom waters; that by coming from a had and a pestilential air, to a good wholesome one, and by drinking those waters, the infirm might the sooner, and with less difficulty, be cured, whereby a zeal for religion might be increased..

And, to the rest of the other Gods, they likewise thought it necessary to find places to build their temples, pursuant to the properties that they attributed to them, and to the manner of their sacrifices. But we, who are by the special grace of God freed from that darkness, having departed from their vain, and false superstition, shall chuse those sites for temples, that shall be in the most noble, and most celebrated part of the city, far from dithonoured places, and on beautiful and ornamented piazza’s, in which many streets finish, whereby every part of the temple may be seen with its dignity, and afford devotion and imitation to whomever sees and beholds it. And if in the city there be hills, the highest part of them is tobe chosen; but in case there be no elevated places, the floor of the temple 1s to be raised, as much as convenient, above the rest of the city. One is besides to ascend to the temple by steps; since the ascent alone to a temple is what affords greater devotion and majesty.

The fronts of temples must be made to face the greatest part of the city, that religion may seem to be placed as the safe-guard and proteélrix of the citizens.

But% temples are built without the city, then their fronts must be made to face the publick streets, or the rivers, if they are built near them that passengers may see them, and make their salutations and reverences before the front of the temple.