Chapter XXVIII. Of two temples of Nismes; and, first, of that which is called La Maison Quaree

IN Nismes, a city of Provence, which was the native country of Antoninus Prus the

, & city: A yo 8

emperor, among many other beautiful antiquities, the two following temples are to be seen. This first is by the inhabitants of that city called La Maison Quaree, because it is of a quadrangular form, and they say it was a basilica, (What basilica’s were, their use, nd how they were made, has been mentioned in the third hook, according to what Vitruvius says them.) As they were of a form different from this, I believe certainly that it was a temple. What its aspect is, and its manner, by what has been said in so many other temples, is sufficiently manifest.

The floor of the temple is raised from the ground ten foot five inches, A pedestal forms a basement round it, upon whose cimacia are two steps which support the base of the columns, And it might very easily be, that it was such steps Vitruvius means, when at the end of the third chapter of the third book he says, that in making a poggio round a temple, the scamilli impart should be made under the bases of the columns, which are to answer directly to the body of the pedestal, which is, under the columns, and be level under the base of the column, and above the cimacium of the pedestal; which place has perplexed many. The base of this basement has fewer members, and is thicker than the cimacium, which, as been elsewhere observed, ought to be done in pedestals. The base of the columns is Attick, but it has some bastoncini more; hence it may be called Composite, and is suitable to the Corinthian order.

The capitals are wrought in the manner of olive leaves, and the abaco carved. The flower placed in the middle of the front of the capital takes up the height of the abaco, ard the orlo of the campana, which I have remarked was observed in all the ancient capitals of this kind, The architrave, the frize and the cornice, are the fourth part of the length of the columns, and all their members are carved with most beautiful inventions. The modiglions are different from any I have seen; and this their difference from the ordinary is very graceful. And although the capitals are in the manner of olive leaves, they are nevertheless carved in the manner of oak leaves.

Over the gola diritta,” instead of an orlo, there is an ovolo carved; which is seen but in few cornices. The frontispiece is directly made Vitruvius teacheth in the before mentioned place.’

As there are nine parts in the length of the cornice, one is given to the height of the frontispiece under the cornice. The arte, or pilasters of the door, are as thick in the front as the sixth part of the breadth of the openings. This door has very beautiful ornaments, and is very well carved, Over its cornice, and even with the pilasters, there are two pieces of stone wrought in the manner of architraves, which project forward from the said cornice, and in each of them there is a square hole ten inches and an half broad every way, in which I believe beams have been put, which reached to the ground, and where an additional door might have been made to put on and take off: which must have been made with latices, that the people standing without might see what was doing in the temple, without hindering the priests.

There are six plates of this temple.

In the first, which is this, is designed the plan, Plate In the second the elevation of the front forwards.

Plate Ix the third the elevation of the flank. Plate In the fourth is part of the members. Plate And afterwards there is the designs of the fourth part of the upright, and of the plan of the capital. In the fifth are the architrave, the frize, and the cornice. Plate In the sixth are the ornaments of the door, Plate

Jeers, and projecting from them. Tur foliages which are over it, are those of the frize that goes quite round the temple over the columns.