The Arch of Pola

THe Towne of Pola in Dalmatia, is adorned with many Antiquities: besides the Theater & Amphitheater, whereof I spake before, there are other Buildings, whereof now I will speake. There is an Arch Tryumphant, of Corinthia worke, rich of ornaments, for Figures, works, and strange deuices; so that from the Pedestal vpwards, there is no worke nor space lest vngrauen, not onely before, but also on the sides, and within, and vnder in the Arch, wherein are many and diuers works, so that it would require long time to declare them particularly: therefore I will shew such parts thereof as are necessary for a workeman, for inuention and Arte. The ground of the Arch following standeth hereunder, measured with a Moderne or common foote, whereof the halfe is here set downe. The Arch is 12. foot and a halfe wide: the height is about 21. foot. The Pilasters in the sides inward are 4. foot thicke. The thicknes of a Columne is one foote, 9. ounces and a halfe. The Intercolumne is 2. foot, 3. ounces and a halfe. The Pilaster of the Arch is one foot, 2. ounces broad. The height of the Plinthus vnder the Base of the Pedestall, is one foote. The Base is 4. ounces high. The flat of the Pedestall is 3. foot: the Cornice 4. ounces. The Plinthus marked D. vnder the Columnes is 4. ounces. The height of the Base with the Plinthus is 10. ounces and one quarter. The height of the Columne is 16. foote, one ounce and 3. quarters. The height of the Capitall is 2. foot and one ounce. The height of the Architraue is one foote and one ounce. The height of the Fréese is one foote and 2. ounces. The height of the Cornice is one foote and 10 ounces. The height of the Plinthus aboue the Cornice is one foote and 2. ounces. The height of the Base of the Pedestall, and also of the Plinthus vpon it, is one foote and 2. ounces: but the height of the Base alone is 10. ounces. The height of the flat of the Pedestall is 2. foote and one ounce. The Cornice is 6. ounces. The Cauet aboue the Cornice, (which Vitruuius, as I thinke, calleth Corona lisis) is 5. ounces: and this is the measure of the ground following.

The measure of this present Arch is set downe before: in this side following, the particular parts shall bee shewed. These great letters hereunder, stand in the Fréese, marked Y. SALVIA. POSTVMA. SERGI, DE SVA PECVNIA. These vnder marked, stand in thrée Pedestals, marked X. H. A.

L. SERGIVS. C. F. AED. II. VIR.

L. SERGIVS. L. F. LEPIDVS. AED. TRI. MIL. LEG. XXIX.

C. SERGIVS. C. F. AED. II. VIR. QVINQ.

IN the side before, I haue spoken of the vniuersall measure of the Arch triumphant of Pola, and haue also shewed the Figure thereof, and partly set downe some of the richest and fairest ornaments of the same: Now I will set downe the particular measures of the parts thereof: and first, I will begin with yᵉ nether parts, as that was placed first aboue the ground. The height of the Plinthus vnder the Base of the Pedestall, is one foot; although that vnder it there lieth another of much more height, but it is vnder the earth: the height of the Cimatie turned about aboue it, with the Astragalus, is 4. ounces: the flat of the Pedestall, is 3. foot high: the Cimatie aboue, it is 4. ounces, & so much also is the vnder-Base, aboue the Cimatie: the height of the Base of the Columnes, is 10. ounces, and is very well cut and grauen: and although the forme is Dorica, yet the delicate works thereof shew that it is Corinthia: the Columnes are fluited or chaneled from the top to the bottom; and there are also many hollowings without the Pilaster, as the Figure hereafter doeth shew. The height of the Capitall with the Abacus, is two foote and one ounce: the which Capitall is higher then the thicknesse of the Columne beneath. Neuerthelesse, it is very well, and sheweth pleasing to sight; it is also richly wrought, as it is here shewed in the Figure thereof: and alwayes, as the Capitall of Corinthia is in such proportion against the Columne, I would thinke it better to the view of workemen; then if with the Abacus it had but the height of the Diameter of the Columne: and although Vitruuius writeth thus (as is before sayd) yet may his text be falsified. The height of the Architraue, is one foot and one ounce: the height of the Fréese, is one foote and two ounces: the height of the Cornice, is a foote and ten ounces: which Cornice is very licencions, although it be rich of worke, because such richnesse of worke confoundeth it: but that which is most vnséemely in it, is the Echine with the Ouale aboue the Seima, a thing, in trueth, much vnsightly: and that, which is more worthy laughter, is, that the said Echine in the vpper part, is cut through, without being couered with any list, that it might not bee consumed with the water. But there hath alwayes béene licencious workemen, as there are yet in our dayes, who, to please the people, make much grauing in their workes, without respecting the qualities of the orders, and will also in Dorica worke, which should bee fast and strong, vse much grauing and cutting, as in Corinthia worke, which, by their folly, asketh many ornaments. But wise and iudicious workemen will alwayes obserue Decorum: and if they make worke after Dorica maner, they will follow good Antiquities: which, for the most part, agrée with Vitruuius precepts. If they make any worke after the Corinthia maner, then they couer them with Ornaments, as that kind of worke requireth. This I haue set downe, to aduertise those thereof that know it not; for they that know it, néede not my aduice. Now to come to the purpose agayne: Aboue this Cornice there is a Basement, which maketh out thrée Pedestals; the Plinthus vnder the Basement, which is there set against the proiecture of the Cornices, (for otherwise, in looking vp, it would darken the Base) is a foot high; aboue it standeth the Base, whereof the height is 10. ounces: the flat of the Basement, is 2. foot & 1. ounce high: the Cornice aboue it, is halfe a foote high; which Cornice is very seemely, and the parts thereof deuide themselues very well from each other, for that betwéene the two carued members there standeth one playne aboue: the Cornice is that member or part, called Corona lisis, as I vnderstand Vitruuius, whereof the height is 5. ounces. Aboue these there are some stones that shew to no end at all, but it may be thought, that some things stoode vpon them: the height of these stones is 10. ounces: the height of the Impost of this Arch is 10. ounces; the which Impost is very licenciously made: and although those 3. members one aboue the other, are diuers, yet they are like each other in proiecture: and therefore in the worke they stand to no good effect: the other parts you shall know by the Caracters in the great Arch.