Poggio Reale at Naples

AMong other Cities of Italy, Naples is called, La Gentile, and that not onely in respect of the great Barons, Lords, Earles, Dukes, and great numbers of Gentlemen therein, but also, because it is so well furnished with stately Houses and Palaces, as any other parts of Italy. And among other pleasant places that are without the Citie, there is a place called Poggio Reale, which King Alphonsus caused to be made for his pleasure, in that time (then most fortunate) when Italy was in peace, and now vnfortunate, by reason of the discords therein. This Palace hath a very faire scituation, and is well deuided for Roomes, for that in each corner thereof might bee lodged a strong company of men: in the middle there are sixe great Chambers, besides the Roomes vnder the ground, together with some secret Chambers. The forme of this faire building in the ground, as also, the building that standeth vpright, is here set downe in the next leafe: the measure thereof I set not downe vnto you, onely, because I will shew you the inuention: for a workeman may imagine of what greatnesse he will haue a Chamber, being all of one greatnesse; and then from those Chambers he may imagine all the measures of the rest of the building: which building the Noble King vsed for his pleasure, because men accustomed to dwell in the Countrey in the Summer time. The Court of this Palace is compassed with double Galleries: and in the middlemost place, marked E. men go downe a payre of Stayres into a fayre eating place, in which place, the King and his Lords vsed to banquet and eate at pleasure; in which place he caused certayne secret places to bee opened, whereby in the twinckling of an eye, the place was full of water, so that they sate all in water: likewise at this Kings pleasure, all yᵉ water voyded out of the roome againe, but there wanted no shifts of clothes to put on, nor yet rich and costly beds for them to lye in, that would rest themselues. O voluptuous Italians, how are you impouerished by your discords! I will not speake of the most beautifull Gardens, filled with all kind of flowres, with diuers compartements of the Orchards and Trées of all kind of Fruits, with great abundance of Fish-ponds and Fishes, of places and cages of diuers Birds both great and small, of fayre stables, filled with all sorts of Horses; and of many other fayre things, which I will not speake of, for that Marcus Antonius Michaell, a Gentleman of that Towne, very learned in Architecture, hath séene it, and hath written of it at large in a Latine Epistle, which he sent to a friend of his. But to turne againe to the parts of the said Palace, which is right foure square, it is within, Galleried round about, one aboue the other: in the foure Corners, within the thicknesse of the walls, stand the winding stayres to goe vp into the building. The foure Galleries without, marked B. are not there, but for the commoditie and beautifying of the house, they would stand well there.

IN this Figure hereunder, I haue shewed the Orthographie both within and without: the part marked A. sheweth the part without: the part marked B. representeth the Galleries within: the part C. sheweth the ruines within. I haue not set downe the couering or roofe of this house: for according to my opinion, I would haue playstered such a building, that it might onely be vsed for a walking place, to behold the countrey about.

COnsidering the fayre Building of Poggio Real, I haue thought good to set downe such an other here in this place; but in other forme for appertements, and peraduenture with more ease, for that the places are all of one greatnes, which is not so good a forme: but it is necessary that the first should be greater then the second. In this place I make you no place for lights within, for that it is a place in the countrey, being not cumbred on the sides; it hath light inough on all the foure corners: but some men may say, that the Hall with the foure Chambers, because they haue no light but through the galleries, are darke, for it is no perfect couer: to which I answere, that the house being made to be vsed in the time of great heat, hauing no place in the middle, the Hall and the Chambers will alwayes be cold, by reason the Sunne cannot come vnto them. These places will be very pleasant at none time, for that the said places haue not so great lights as the other dwellings; yet haue they so much light as they néed: such like may be séene in Bolonia, which are made in this manner with Galleries, and daily inhabited. This Building is so dispused, that the corner places being of great thickenesse, the rest shall be strong inough, yea, although the walls had no great thicknesse, in regard they are all counterforts one to the other, yet shall they be of sufficient strength. I will not speake of the measures, for that this being proportioned, the skilful workman may imagine (according to his pleasure that caused it to be built) first the greatnes of the roome, then deuide it into so many féet or other measures, thereby to measure all the rest of the building, as the situation of the place may beare it. Then this building, aboue all things, shall be placed, that the Sunne may rise vpon one of the corners, and so shine vpon all the sides thereof: for if it stands with one side to the East, and the other to the West, then it will follow, that the North side shall neuer enioy the Sunne-shine vpon it, which were rumaticke and vn wholesome.

MEn may build in diuers and sundry sorts vpon the ground aforesayd: but for that this is a place of pleasure, I thought good, for the brauenesse thereof, to make it after the Corinthia maner. I will not trouble my selfe to speake of the measures nor heights; for in my fourth Booke, in the Order of Corinthia, O 2. you shal find a Treatise, which, together with the iudgement of yᵉ wise workman, will serue to set down this measure. And, for that in this Facie there is no shortening at all, whereby you may know the Galleries, the flat and closed places eche from other; therefore I will set downe the two highest sides at eche end: you must conceaue it to haue flat Pillars from beneath vpwards; that part betwéene both, which is lower, you must suppose hath two Galleries, one aboue the other, the Columnes whereof would be round: the same is to be vnderstood to be both behind, and on both sides. Men may also make aboue the Galleries a Tarrace or Pauement, to defend the raine, the Gallery being made with a Leane-to, or Raile, out of the Cornices of the first order of the Figures aforesayd: and so also the Hall in the middle, together with the 4. Chambers of yᵉ second story, would haue more light. For 2. causes I haue made the small windows aboue the great, in the first story. The 1. is, if you will make the windowes so low, that a man sitting, may easily sée out of them, then (if you should make the windowes no higher then the doore) there would bee too much space betwéene the windowes and the roofe of the house, which would greatly darken the house: and otherwyse the windowes bring much more light into the Hall. The 2. is, that the Chambers by the Hall néed not bee of such height, but you may make hanging Chambers therein, whereto those windowes will serue. I might speake of many other things, which I referce to the iudgement of the workeman.