The Arch of Ancona

WIthout Ancouen vpon the hauen, there is an head which reacheth it selfe a good way into the Sea, which we• not made without great cost and charges: it was to defend the ships from the Leuant sea. Vpon the end of the height thereof, standeth an Arch tryumphant, all of Marble and Corinthia worke; and there is nothing in it but the Capitals, which are done in very good worke: and in trueth, this building is so handsome, and of so good correspondencie, the members also agr•ing with the whole body, that a man, although he vnderstand no Art, would neuerthelesse take pleasure in the beautie thereof. And those that vnderstand somewhat, séeing such congruitie, are not ouely well contented, but also thanke the good workeman, that hath giuen vs somewhat in these dayes to learne out of this fayre and well made building: in the ornaments whereof, there is the order of Corinthia as well obserued and kept, as in any other Arch that is to be found, and by reason of the strength thereof, it is all whole; onely it is vnfurnished of many ornaments. This faire Arch, as it is conceyued, Nerua Traianus caused to be builded: whereupon, in the highest part of the Arch (as it is sayd) his Image was erected, sitting on horse backe, séeming to threaten she clouds and people, ouer whom he looked and gouerned, lest they should rebell againe: which Image was of Copper excellently well made. There were also betwéene the Columnes, aboue the Cornices, certaine Images of Copper, as the letters in those places written, doe shew: there are also tokens of holes, which shewes that there were Kings of Copper, or other such like things hanging in them, which might bee taken from the Eothes, Vandals, or other enemies. This building was measured by the ancient foote, the ground whereof standeth hereunder. The widenesse of the Arch is ten foote: the thickenesse inwards is nine foote and two minutes: the thicknesse of the Columnes is two foote, 11. minutes: the Intercolumnes, for spaces betwéene the Columnes, is 7. foote, 5. minutes: the Columnes stand without the wall, 1. foote and 11. minutes: the height of the Arch is 25. foot and 1. third part: and this height, although it holdeth more then two foure squares, is not therefore misshapen, when you behold the whole masse together: the height of the Pedestals with all their Cornices, is 5. foote: the breadth is thrée foote, 15. minutes and a halfe: the height of the Bases of the Columnes, together with the Vnderbases are 1. foote and 36. minutes: the height of the Columnes to the Capitals, is 19. foote, 22. minutes and a halfe: the thicknesse vnder the Capitall is one foote and 56. minutes: the height of the Capitall is 2. foote, 24. minutes, with the Abacus; and the Abacus is 10. minutes: the sayd Capitall you shall find in my fourth Booke, in the beginning of the order of Corinthia: the height of the Architraue is one foote and 12. minutes: the height of the Freefe is one foote and 18. minutes: the height of the Cornice is 1. foote and 22. minutes: the height of the Plinthus aboue the Cornice, is one foote, 6. minutes and a halfe: the height of the Base aboue the sayd Plinthus, is 30. minutes: the height of the Epitaph vnder the Cornice, is 6. foote and 22. minutes; but the Cornice aboue it was not measured.

PLOTINAE AVG. CONIVGI AVG.

DIVAE MARTIANAE AVG. SORORI AVG.

Imp. Caesari Diui Neruae. F. Neruae Traiano Optimo Augusto. Germanico Dacico. Pont. Max. Tri. Pot. xix. Imp. xi. Cos. vi. P. P. Providentissimis Principibus. S. P. Q. R. Quod accessum Italiae, hoc etiam addito. Ex Pecunia sua, Portututiorem Nauigantibus reddiderit.

IN my opinion, I haue sayd enough of the measure of the Arch of Ancona, yet that the parts of the Cornices may be the better vnderstood, I will shew them here greater: and first, I will set downe the lowest parts, as they stand aboue the ground of the worke. The height of the Pedestall, marked G. is sayd to be of 5. foot, with all the Cornices thereof: but the height of the Plinthus of the Base, is 18. minutes: the Base aboue the Plinthus, is 19. minutes, and a third part high: the Cornice of the Pedestall, is 20. minutes, and a third part high; so much doeth the stone also hold, standing thereby, marked F. which, by my aduice, is placed there, to heighten the Columnes, and sheweth not badly, but more, because it is set forth with a list round about it; whereby the Base differeth from the Plinthus: and so, in my opinion, standeth well. The Base, which is Corinthia, together with the Cincte of the Columne, is 43. minutes high: and the Proiecture, is 16. minutes and an halfe in bredth: the thicknesse of the Pedestall, is 3. foote, 15. minutes and an halfe: the thicknesse of the Columne, is 2. foote, 11. minutes: and there stand 13. hollowings, or chanels, without the Pilaster: the widenesse of one chanell, is 7. minutes and a halfe: and the List which parteth them, is 2. minutes and a halfe. The height of the Capitals are the thicknesse of the Columnes below, without the Abacus: which Capitall hath a very fayre forme, whereby we may be perswaded and beleeue, that Vitruuius doctrine is false, and that Vitruuius vnderstood the height of the Capitall without Abacus: (and for this cause) for that the most part of the Capitals that I haue séene and measured, are most of such height, and higher, and specially the Capitals that stand in the Rotund: whereof, in the beginning of this Booke you may sée one. The height of the Architraue aboue the Columne, is one foote and twelue minutes. The height of the Fréese, is one foote and eyghtéene minutes. The height of the Cornice, is one foote and two and twenty minutes. These thrée are marked together with an A. The Plinthus aboue the Cornice is one foote, sixe minutes and an halfe high: The Base vpon it, is thirtie minutes: the space wherein the letters are written, is sire foote and two and twenty minutes, and is marked with ✚. The Impost of the Arch is marked D. the height whereof is 1. foote and fiftéene minutes: but the vppermost Cornice, as I haue sayd, was not measured. The height of the Mensole in place of the closing stone, marked B. aboue the Arch, is thrée foot and 30. minutes: and hath a foote and 14. minutes without the wall, in the vppermost part; and in the parts below, it comes out a foot. The foure tables with the Cornices vpon them, which stand betwéene the Columnes, are thought to be placed there, for holding vp of halfe Images: the forme whereof, standeth here marked E. and is there also by the Profill on the side, whereby a man may sée how they are wrought: for they are full of worke, euen to the Center. The height of the Cornices, standing aboue them, is 32. minutes: and although I haue not shewed all the Proiectures & heights from part to part, yet I haue with great diligence reduced them from the great, into a small forme, and were (as I sayd before of the rest) measured with the old Romane foot.