LARCH 060

Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

Key Concepts:
1. The three characteristics of The Neolithic revolution
 Permanent settlements will become the vehicle for human advancements.
Civilizations will only arise when there is a degree of permanence

 Humans were transformed from being mere figures in the landscape to being
shapers of the landscape.

 People were acquiring the power to control nature.

2. The Hammurabi Code and its significance

 Given by King Hammurabi of Babylon.

 Land governance and land use
 Concept of land ownership
 Provided definition of what was private property
 Dictated how land would be sold and transferred
 Provided full procedures and rules for share crowding
 Established irrigation procedures

3. Key reasons why the Nile River was of utmost importance to ancient Egypt's
development.

 Influence on design (orthogonal development created a grid)

 Contrast to desert climate, temples were located along waterway (not houses made of mud), pr
ovided transportation to red sea and Mediterranean sea
 Stone was used for temples and tombs in order to last forever
 The river and religion come in to play as important design influences.
 Floods essential for irrigation and providing water to soil
 Transportation, deposition and fertile from floods, critical for life sustenance (irrigation)

4. What are "Universal Influences" on design (there are three)?

 Geography, Religion, and Climate
5. Understand orthogonal development.
 Rectilinear development of outdoor spaces, provision of the path created by
the Nile and east/west flow of sun, an axis to go off of (or intersection of two
axis) (right angles)
6. The four Egyptian design responses:
 Orthogonal development

 Enclosed oases

 Megalithic mass

 Durable
7. Relate the above elements to the design of Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary
temple:
 Garden: Enclosed oasis, wall on perimeter, lots of vegetation on wall, center
area is a place to sit, house,

 Orthogonal – 90 degree angle on connection of garden and river, clear axial

arrangement of vegetation on wall, bilateral symmetry, orthogonal
arrangement to organize things on inside of oasis

 Temple: Located along Nile like 3 miles, on 90 degree axis with Nile, appears
emerging from mountain behind it

 Durable methalithic mass (queen’s temple should last forever), bilateral

symmetry, orthogonal dev, oasis? Queen sent servants to get vegetation to put
on walls, tree trunks have been identified, a presence of vegetation, so oasis
 1) Enclosed Oasis- Geography and Climate
2) Durable, Megalithic Mass - Geography Climate and Religion
3) Orthogonal Development- Geography
4) Path or Axis - Geopraphy

8. The characteristics of the Mesopotamian park:

 Land between tygris and Euphrates river
 Design response similar to Egypt’s – geog and climate
 Built by the king, to make bride feel more at home in the desert
 Assyrians introduced concept of private parks. Private space, not open to
public, in one tree there is a victorious scene drawing in which the victor
retreated to his park. Long and continual evolution of park. Different from
modern day. For Assyrians, park is private ground for the king to hunt wild
animals. Used to protect the kings people from animals and was a hunting
preserve so the king could practice. Appeared like the enclosed Egypt
enclosed oasis. Intentionally designed areas, manmade with artificial hills,
forests, and wildlife from outside the area
Ancient Greece
The Golden Age of ancient Greek civilization ( 500 and 300 BCE )
1. The four influences on ancient Greek design.
 Geography and climate – genius loci

 Intellectual curiosity

 Interest in democracy

 Eidos
2. Describe the concept of Eidos.

 Idea; meant the perfect representation of everything; there is an Eidos for every physic
al element, perfect standard to which we all strive to achieve

3. Spatial dynamics and their use in the design of Greek temple complexes:
 Spatial dynamics - enhancement of the relationship between the human
being and space
 Acropolis—sacred large hill in Athens, built a temple (Parthenon) dedicated to
Athena (goddess of Athens),

 Delphi - Haphazardly put together? No. Like body language, Athena is sending a
message, to dramatize the effect that the visit to the temple will have a new
humble greek citizen. A visit to the place was to have an effect of drama at this
experience. There are structures preparing to send you into the temple. Enter,
must make an effort to walk around and get to Athena statue, dramatize the
fact you are a mere mortal and she is great

 Purposely didnt use symmetrics to make it dynamic. Dramatize feeling of walking

through a temple

4. "Empathy with nature" as manifested in Greek temple design:

 Very intertwined with nature

 Find perfect place to put temples; ex. Athena temple on top of sacred hill

 Goddess of greens and agriculture – located in a calm landscape

 God of sea Poseidon – next to a cliff

5. Understand how the ancient Greek relationship to nature differed from ancient
Egyptian:
 Greek’s were much more in-tune with nature, placed temples where it would
make sense to attach gods to their elements.
6. The agora, and how was it a democratic space?
 The agora was the gathering spot regardless of social status. It created a grid
around it so land was divided up equally and democratically.
7. The significant about the grid layout of the colonial town of Priene?
 It was democratically split up around the agora. Created equal share of land and
property.
8. Understand the Greek ideal, the eidos, of "Restraint under Pressure"
 Search for perfection, search for truth, going beyond what was standard

 Example bust of a charioteer, ancient Greek Ideal, not a depiction of a person,

but a depiction of an ideal. Perfect ideal for charioteer would be restraint under
pressure, extreme level of controls while operating under duress.

Ancient Rome

1. Why is it not surprising to see innovation, organization and a strong sense of

power in ancient Roman designs?
 Innovation-will not hesitate to adopt the architectural accomplishments of
ancient Greece, but will take it over & make it their own.

 Highly organized, order, organization and new interest in defining center.

Center marks a spot in time, it tells you that you have arrived & tells you, you
still have a journey to go.

 Designed with axis, to illustrate power. It’s about control & organization, thanks
to the axis & defined center. No doubt who is in control
2. In class we discussed the "triumphal arch" through which Roman troops would
pass through on exiting or returning to Rome. What does that say about their
culture?
 No function other than operating as a gate way for troops to celebrate back to
the city.

 Confident, proud society who is not afraid to celebrate it society.

3. We discussed the Coliseum and Baths of Caracalla in class, what did they
represent?
 Coliseum represented perfection of use of concrete (allowed for non traditional
building design without columns – arched ceilings)

 Baths of Caracalla – place for leisure and luxury that was designed with concrete
to allow for innovative design
4. True or False. There was a shared search for eidos in ancient Roman and
ancient Greek design.
 False. They did not strive for perfection that was God like. Greeks tried visual
depictions of Eidos the Charioteer called Restraint under Pressure
5. We’ve seen the use of "axis" for many different purposes. How was it used in
ancient Roman designs and how is that different from the ancient Egyptian axis?

6. What were the design characteristics of the Pantheon and the Roman forum?
 Pantheon-Roman temple to all of their God’s, Importance/ sacredness of the
structure. See innovation, organization, order, center, clear sense of power. It
has a hole in the ceiling, called an oculus. Its windowless building, draws your
eyes upward to light. Gazing at the heavens, extraordinary design. Celebrates
God significance.142 Feet without any supporting columns, technical
innovation in its time. Has main entrance, enter on axis, walk into middle to
oculus pointing upward at center (highly ordered) shows pride & confidence
made its mark.

 Roman Forum - cluster of temples of open spaces dedicated to a host of

Emperors. Began as a market area, turned into sacred landscapes. Emperors
were not Gods but treated almost like. Given God-like characteristics. Upon
their deaths, a temple complex created for them. Had organization, axis, very
ordered
7. How was center used in the above two-design?
 Pantheon- as walked inside it draws your eyes upward at the center to the only
light in the hole in the ceiling. It signifies looking up at the heavens, celebrates
God significance. The Roman Forum is about control and order, with temple
complex in the middle
8. What was the Roman view of nature?
 Very strong bond with nature, mostly as a commodity, natured controlled,
harnessed, to make their lives more comfortable. Viewed as a resource. Water
to be exported, to improve the quality of life. More of a commodity than a
source of spiritual inspiration.
9. What did the Pantheon and the Roman urban house have in common?

 Roman house was a sanctuary. Had no windows, with atrium big open space
open to the skies (garden room). Structuring, order, organization & control to
degree never seen in ancient Greek design
 Open roofs; socialization in middle areas of houses and Pantheon

Chinese Garden Design

1. From the story of the tea master, what can be revealed about Chinese attitude
toward nature?
 A concept of Pharming a view, creating a viewing platform, to heighten your
viewing experience of nature. Frames it’s with a carefully & with great attention
to detail, bring our attention to a carefully selected view. Controlling access to
the view as a way of heightening our understanding of nature. Enhance our
experience of nature. Tea Master- Idea of creating an experience by limited &
controlling what is offered to you & then

2. What are the three great schools of thought and what did they have in
common?
 (1)Confucianism-Based on writing of Confucius, code of moral conduct.
Veneration of nature, what nature bestows to us, those good traits, its our
responsibility within the larger code, this code of moral behavior to improve &
follow thru
  (2)Taoism-Rose in contrasts to Confucianism, people back to nature (means
way). One needs to rid oneself of human artiste & exist within the principle of
taking no action contrary to nature. Being with one with nature thru seclusion &
mediation. Do not interfere with nature. Nature is going to be used as a location
for the essential meditation that is going to lead you to your inner self. Nature
now becomes a vehicle that will allow you to meditate & find the way or path.

 (3) Zen-Buddhism-Emancipation of the self from self. Humans are not superior
to nature, small piece of this larger natural world. In life I will follow & serve
heaven & earth, in death I will be at peace.

 All 3 have respect for nature

3. Would you expect to see an axis in a typical Chinese garden? WHY?
 No designed to nature not to structured axis. Asymmetrical is used to nature
systems
4. What is the biggest difference between the Imperial garden and a private
Chinese garden?
 Imperial Palace (axis) was specifically built for the emperor. Entrance--
Domain for power & control Imperial Garden (asymmetrical)-respect &
reverence for nature. Almost 2 acres very large compared to palace
 Private Garden – Modesty & poetic-grace. For everyday use for the family.
Symbolizing a larger landscape feature thru miniaturization. To still transport
you to a different landscape. Using enframement as a way to heighten your
sensibility. Designer will be controlling your view. Zig-Zag makes the garden
perceived to be larger than it actually is. Architecture does not dominate the
garden space
5. What characteristics of design would the above two gardens share?
 Water, rock, vegetation. Architecture does not dominate the landscape, but
architecture compliments the landscape
6. Explain what is notable about the Chinese idea of architecture placement in
gardens.
 That it does not dominate the garden space only compliments it
7. What do the Imperial garden and the scenic spot have in common?
 Architecture to fit into the landscape. Architecture of within to perfectly en-
frame the larger landscape. Architecture is place to see and a place to see from.
Islamic Gardens I & II

Islamic Garden in Persia, Spain, and India - Part I

1. Describe the "universal forces" and explain how each impacted Islamic garden
design.
 Physical environment-value water, vegetation, walls.

 Social systems (pre-Islam) independent & nomadic, no one ruler that controlled,
each tribe had its own hierarchy, Tribes trying to take control over natural
resources. (Post Islam)

 Awareness of world-visitors were limited to the lands. Pre-Islam were largely

limited in awareness of things going on around their own tribe.

 Religion-(Pre-Islam) Unorganized (such a tribe worshipped such & such a god.

An elementary form of Fetishism, worship of stones & similar objects. Year 600
Advent of Islam, Mohammed when to cave outside of Mecca to understand
message. Islam means to surrender or commitment
2. Define "cultural palimpsest".
 A piece of parchment written on

 Traces of perfectly erased text with the new text. Some of the old and the new
in discernable layers.

 Layering of physical and cultural artifacts, a blending of separate cultures.

Traces of the old can be seen in the new
o What was there when they arrived
o What they bring with them
o A result of those layers combining – the resulted culture palimpsest
3. Why should we not be surprised to see a similar garden tradition in Persia
(pre-Muslim invasion) as was described in the Qur'an?
 Qur’an: Collection of god’s words spoken to mohammad (way of celebrating the
Qur’an)

 Those who die go to gardens; therefore it is a place of lots of shade, trees,

water, all facets desert people love. Paradise. (written in koran)
4. Describe the three elements of the palimpsest that occured in Persia:
 What is found there: Persian princess in her own garden – place of safety,
delights of a desert dweller

 What muslims bring with them: The koran – what a paradise should contain,
paradise with 4rivers theme, foundation

 Result of two layers combining (resulted culture of palimpsest) Combining

paradise with reality
5. What is a charbagh; what are its characteristics?
 Four quartered garden; quadrilateral symmetry, lots of vegetation; paradise
garden expressed in Koran

 Rivers theme, quadrilateral symmetry. Char-Bagh (Four-Quartered Garden).

Cañar trees (great givers of shade), cypress & evergreen –represent eternity,
Almond tree- representing life,
6. Why did calligraphy rise to the level of artistic expression?
 Decoration, jumps out from the page at you

 In architectural designs in order to celebrate the Koran

7. How would you compare medieval Europe with the Spanish-Islamic culture?
 Medieval Europe was going thru the dark ages at this point, but Spanish-Islamic
culture strived due to intellectual perseverance.

Islamic Garden in Persia, Spain, and India - Part II

1. For each of the countries (Spain and India) describe the cultural palimpsest: 1st
what did the invading Muslims bring with them; 2nd--what did they encounter;
and 3rd-- what was the resultant design.
Spain-

 1) Burning intellectual curiosity, will not wipe out everything when they invade
new territory, they will absorb the culture that currently exist.

 2) Geography that is almost paradise, free flowing water, snowcapped

mountains, vigorous agriculture environment, fertile slopes of the Sierra
Nevada. Encountered environment that is tradition that allowed them
 ultimately emerge as a brilliant society. Completely in contrast to their original
origins.

 3) Height of their sophistication

India-

 1) Extreme confidence, confidence in their own knowledge & tradition.

 2) Encountered as different in their own traditions & beliefs as can be

 3) Islamic designs placed on an Indian landscape. Mostly mountainous.

2. Which element of char-bagh is evident in the Court of the Lions? What is
unusual about this design?
 Reference what a paradise could be, reached new levels of creativity. The water
channels runs thru the middle of it inside. Very fancy, jewel like, tight arches,
Connection made by the water between indoors & outdoors that makes for such
a remarkable design

 2 water channels, 4 quartered garden, Blends indoor and outdoor,

calligraphy
3. What happened to the traditional chahar-bagh in Spanish-Islamic gardens?
 What a paradise can be – the focus

 Spanish-Islamic design has been left off the charts and is more centered on
creativity now
4. Why are these gardens considered the height of sophistication?
 Ultimate creativity, comes together, designed as one, refined use of materials
5. What two new types of garden designs did we see emerge in India? Why did
they emerge?
 Terraced gardens and tomb gardens

 Terraced are due to mountains (Himalayans) – can have waterfalls

 Tomb (personal confidence) these gardens are a result of the cultural clash and
pampilsest.
6. What is significant about the Tomb Gardens of Akbar?
 Reincarnation of one’s spirit, lots of fountains, garden of palaces

 Celebrates his entire life

7. What happened to the Taj Mahal gardens?
 Abundant vegetation, four gardens, Brits transform it. They clean up the char.
Imposed their own design. Garden has lost its ability to convey its religious
importance

Medieval Christian Europe

1. What are the causes for the fall of the Roman Empire and what was the
effect?
 Rise of Christianity, power of one God, bigger than the Empire’s power.
o Conflicted with Emperor with him trying Indentifies level of violence
directed at the Emperor. Originally believe Emperor was half man/half
God, then was dropped. Great deal of political unrest & power play going
on. Instead of walking along the people, they Ruled by Seclusion, added
additional strain with the relationship with citizens.

 Roman military changed a great bit. Under Dyaclusion, military service became
hereditary.
o Had your father decided to be in the military, you were destined to be in
the military also. Caused some resentment towards the military. Used
the conquered people & placing them in the military.

 Condition of the humble people was detieriate as well. A new form of

agriculture labor arose, tenant farming.

 Effect was; should the Government start to lose control of the land acquired, the
order, control, & organization would diminish.

 There was no unifying force holding the different land & people together.

 Vandals from the north, Visigoths, Ostigoths, & Huns from East, sacked the
great empire. Invaders were Germadic tribes and largely illiterate. The fertile
system the Germadic tribes installed in the great empire held no intellectual
match to the ancients. The incredible wealth of knowledge was no longer valued
or understood. In arts, in sharp learning at best ignored or worst destroyed
2. What is "neo-platonic Christianity" and how did it impact early medieval
attitude toward nature?
 St Augustine believed himself to be Christian, borrowed a few ideas from Plato,
and called it "neo-platonic Christianity" Christian theology in viewed with Plato’s
observation. Wrote book City of God, neo (NEW) plantoic (based on teachings
of Plato). Took Plato’s world of ideas or true knowledge. Aidos was Plato’s way
of thinking that every material thing on earth, there is a reality behind it that is
immutable (perfection). Its not what we see with our eyes, or sense hear on
earth, but most perfect ideal does exist & gives form to what we see before us.

 Everything on earth is a mere shadow, speaking meaning that everything is out

of control. Average citizens can’t do much about the situation. The invaders
have come, lost our continuity, lost our lawful society, our pride, order &
organization. Insisted that we strive for a perfect hereafter. Meaning to align
oneself with the city of God. Only way to save yourself was to strive for the
ideal. (Place next to God in Heaven). Its about improving oneself as a Christian.
For one day you would be at salvation. Only way to get there is thru absolute
faith. Suggest some ideas that will come to affect some people attitude during
the Middle Evil Area, idea that its OK not to strive for knowledge, its OK not to
know the world around you, just concentrate on saving one soul. He was a
product of his trim ultimate times, eventually contributed to its divorce from
intellectual pursuit.

 If life is a mere shadow and not to worry about it, then nature could also be
dismissed as a topic of inquiry. Aristotle put a lot of science into nature, Europe’s
1st Great Botanist. If you consider nature which is beyond human domain, you
are also prescribing presumably dangerous lawless lands. We don’t have to
worry about nature, nature meaning the larger world around us. To adventure
out in it is a dangerous thing to do. Regrettably that creates a distinct separation
what Aristotle had suggested almost 100 years earlier as being a core value of
human existence. That is the need to understand nature because we are a part
of it.
3. Why did we see the birth of monasteries during this time; describe their
design?
 You can spend all your time working on saving your soul & concentrating on the
hereafter. Monasteries were built on top of mountains & walled for protection
from invading barbarians. Monasteries were literally & figuratively looked to the
heavens. Because the here & now the present day, didn’t mean anything.
Representatives of St Augustine’s neo-platonic Christianity. A place you can wall
yourself away from the world & concentrate on salvation
4. What happens to bring about the development of towns and what form of
growth do they have?
 Eventually those tenant farmers will move into those towns. A law stated if a
tenant would escape for 1 year to a town, then they would be a free man. Towns
were places of escape, places of market, this is where you get your chance in
life. It grows out of need, like a plant.

 Organic Street Pattern existed, other places had notable ideas behind the
designs for looking as they did axial or not. Teacher believes its growth is out of
economic need. Every city needs an open market area/meeting space. Streets
are very small, streets twist & turn, no predictability to them. All at an
accompanied HUMAN SCALE. Human form feels very comfortable in this space.
Streets are narrow, buildings are not too high. See this continued evolution
absolute rebirth of Europe. Thanks to discovery of classic knowledge &
expansion.

 Market expansion brings European down into Islamic Spain that introduces
them the beautiful designs.

 A level Century heralded Europe’s expansion. A rising population drove men to

seek new opportunities and additional land. European’s were freshly emerging
from 400 years of intellectual darkness & inward turning. Towns & there
merchants sought additional trading outlets. Pronouncing peace, truths of God,
the Roman Catholic Church encouraged the ruling Aristocracy to direct their
marshal instincts against the havens infidels.
5. Which elements of the chahar-bagh might be seen in an early medieval
garden?
 Wall enclosures, a symmetrical plan of geometric beds usually on a grid. A
central water feature, sometimes with four channels, trees & flowers were
chosen for their symbolism & fragrance & beauty. Find turf benches in these
gardens & flowering needs, sometimes flowers & herbs were planted in paths to
provide fragrance & crushed under foot
6. What was the evolution in the use of gardens during this period: they went
from _____ to _____?
 Symbolism from relating Islamic to one relating to Christianity Symbol of
Heaven into a place of pleasure.
7. How did St. Francis’ teachings reflect a changing attitude toward nature?
 Brought back the change of studying nature to learn about nature. He stated we
should embrace the birds & bees as brothers & sisters.
Italian Piazza Design
1. Where are piazzas located and how do they function?
Open spaces in the city of Italy.
Medieval renaissance -located adjacent to an important city building or building that is
important to the public. Piazzas functions as an outdoor extension of the activity in that
building. The activities that happen inside the building can extend outside.
Renaissance- Albertie suggest ideal proportions, create the perfect harmonies piazzas,
should proportion it to create a triple cube. The plan of it so that you have three cubes
lined up. 3 times a long as wide. Make the buildings surrounding it “piazzas” equal in
height to the width of the piazza so that when you look at the end of the space you will
see a square. Now designing piazzas. Now people are worried about their harmonies &
proportions.
2. The Piazza del Popolo in Todi exhibits what three basic characteristics of medieval
piazza design?

 Walls of piazza are individual buildings around space

 Roads that enter space and end in piazza (dead-ends)

 Irregular in form (no symmetry, organic makeup)

3. The Piazza della Signora is in what city? Is it Medieval or Renaissance and how do you
know?

 In Florence

 Medieval

 Dead end streets, irregular, façades

4. What is special about the piazza adjacent to Piazza della Signoria?

 (Uffizi – Gov’t building name) consciously designed, very characteristic of the

Italian renaissance (rich character design from 1400 century in Northern Italy)
5. Describe the new Renaissance attitude toward nature and how it came about;
contrast that to ancient Greece.

 Nature is a great whole & they apart of that. Similar to how Greeks thought
about nature. In Renaissance people being to look backward to the philosophy
of the ancient Greeks and the designs of ancient Rome.

 Neo-platonic academy, the philosophy of Plato & Aristotle & ancient Greeks are
read once again.
  Sense of oneness with nature. Man becomes one with nature by understanding
nature, studying it, by understating nature laws, its systems & its harmonies.
Harmony of music
6. Referring to above, how did this effect design? What is the significance of the square
and circle?

 Reason governing form – fundamental theme in renaissance

 Circle and square: Most perfect geometric forms, used in design (a

mathematical science), ideal cities have straight streets and no irregularity and
centered on geometry, idea of balance and harmony
7. Why is the Piazza Ducale considered a perfect representation of the Renaissance?

 Uniformed façade, constant rhythm of windows and columns, opposing wall is

mirror of the first, harmonic balance

 Located in a medieval city – Vigevano

 Constant rhythm of column
 Walls are mirrors of each other
 The city became very wealthy during the Renaissance
o Cathedral was askew to the piazza
o Put a new, symmetric facade on the cathedral to orthogonize the space
o No function to the left most door to the cathedral - open to a street but it
makes it balanced
 Fake facade was created around the entire piazza to regulate the design
o Windows and columns are spaced up in order to accommodate the
downward slope of the piazza - came as a result of the understanding of
perspective

Baroque Rome
1. List five of the many "brushfires" discussed in the lecture and explain what happened
as a result.

 Lorenzo de Medici dies without a successor, Charles VIII sacks Italian towns and
brings back a Renaissance, economic upheaval as the new world is discovered,
Roman Catholic Church is accused of corruption, Martin Luther and Copernicus
were both trouble to the Roman Catholic Church
2. When did those brushfires occur (between which two eras)?

 Reformation and counterreformation

 Between Italian Piazzas and Italian Villas during Baroque Rome
3. What was the idea behind Sixtus V’s "sacred network" & describe the design
elements used?

 To link the 7 pilgrimage churches in Rome, wanted to connect 2 spaces, very

hilly
 Used the Spanish steps for the path to go down and back up again, sculptural
pins (obelisks acted as an indicator that you were still on the right path
 Purpose of reminding everyone of who may be moving about of the city, that
they are in the sacred domain of the church
 Elements: church expanded outward via axis, obelisks were used as focal points in many cases

4. Name the three Baroque piazzas included in his network. What design elements do
they have in common?

 Piazza del popolo, piazza san pietro (st peters), campidoglio

 Piazza del Popolo, Saint Peters, and Campigdoglio all used the obelisk to carry a
message along the axis. Squares and ovals were also used with symmetry for
power.

5. What was the Bernini attempting to accomplish in his design for Piazza san Pietro?

 Create a piazza in front of the Cathedral that would be the ultimate symbol of
Roman Catharism, nothing but the greatest of designs would be appropriate,
would fit the most important place. Created two spaces, Piazzeretta & Piazza
Obliqua, it had to have collonades, which would show it as if stretching out its
arms maternally to receive Catholics, so as to confirm them in their faith,
heretics, to reunite them to the church & infidels, to enlighten them in the true
faith. Obliqua is both enclosing form & open free flowing space. To allow people
to flow in freely from all angles. Strong sense of enclosure, called Bernini’s. It
displays power of the Roman Catholic Church to display a religion so strong, so
confident it extents far out into the city. Location & funchion of piazzas; Pope
John Paul inauguration in 1978 in attendance of 200,000 well wishers
6. Why was the Piazza del Popolo, Rome, so important?

 Three separate axis were used, a second church was created to keep symmetry,
and the obelisk became the main focal point of the three axis
7. What is the significance of the oval and axis in Baroque Roman designs?

 Oval and extended axis became emblematic shapes of Baroque power and
authority
8. Why is the Campidoglio considered to be a good example of Baroque design?
  Original design was altered to retain ancient Roman culture while also
incorporating modern style. It used a convex surface and trapezoidal space.

Italian Villas
1. What might be some reasons we not see villas in the Medieval era?
 Coming out of the dark ages, every aspect of life was seen either thru divine
light (St Augustine) or atmosphere of repression & fear. That changes in the
Renaissance, not only do we see Scholars paying attention to nature, but
thoughts now are going to revolve around the individual.

 Villas celebrate nature and humanism - Something not looked at in

medieval times

2. What general characteristics would you expect to see in Italian villas

 First appeared back in ancient Rome, used as summer country estates.

 A renaissance villa is a complex, it is both house & land in the country for
enjoyment & relaxation, used solely by affluent Italians. Restricted to the
privileged & powerful & anyone that could afford to have a country estate solely
for pleasure is no peasant. Villas served as summer homes implying that these
wealthy people not only had a rural estate but also another home in the city.

 Key to the existence of the villas is the city, because it’s a reaction to the city, it
existed in contrast to the city. In the 1400’s-1500’s because concerns for health
were paramount. They were soothing places. In places early outside Florence,
there were also destinations in which to flee the epidemics that plagued urban
life. Not only a refuge from disease, believed breathing fresh air was
rejuvenating, kept the mind & body healthy. Often located on hills, all 1500-
1600’s century villas, are hill side retreats. Considerable design paid to climate &
petrography in their designs. Attention to climate because they will focus on
cooling shade & water in their design. Petrography to deal with elevation
changes. In keeping with Renaissance nature, hillside locations be an
opportunity for taking in views of the landscape.

 The Renaissance can be thought as a celebration of nature & humanism.

Humanism is a view of life that has the individual as its central focus.

 Italian Humanist Motto: Go To The Source-humanism of

antiquities
3. What Vatican design influenced villa development, and how?
 Villa Belvedere built in 1487 for Pope Innocent VIII, constructed just north of the
Vatican. May have been more of a recuperative retreat, used by a succession of
Popes, faced away from the Vatican. Until Pope Julius II hired the architect
Vermonti in 1504 to construct a sculpture gallery for his growing collection of
growing artwork. Designed a huge courtyard that connected the villa to the
Vatican Palance. The Belevere court encompass 3 terraces, two of them planted
with partiers & all linked along a central axis, created by the architectural
treatment & a straight visual link. The villa was asque to an straight axial
connection to the palace. A false facade was created, basically a high wall with a
basically a high wall with a semicircular anise (Hemicycle) located in the center.
It massed the villa from the palace. To handle the elevation change, came up
with the scissor staircase, to transition from the 1 st to the 2 nd . The lower end
of the court adjacent to the Vatican, is where the statuary would be housed,
open air museum. Pope Pius V was offended by the sculpture garden as he
viewed as Pagan, he had the sculptures removed. When Pope Sixus V in mid
1550’s decided to build the Vatican library right in the middle of the grand court.
The left over space is used as parking. It was one of the true Renaissance villa
designs that you can see in Rome. Stood as a prototype for later villa design
4. Why was it suggested that the Villa Medici was a celebration of humanism?
 Celebration of nature; site chosen for the view, emerging oneself in nature, but
also taking in the distance views of the countryside. The use of terracing is
effective to nestle the house & gardens into the natural hillside

 To celebrate nature, because we are now part of it. According to Alberti(perfect

measurements) needs a view with a familiar scene, should be high on the
mountain for health air.

 Lorenzo De Medici – a place to flex the mind, became one of two villas, where
he would gathers members of his special plutonic academy to discuss the
ancient writers & poets & be inspired by the scenery. Life of contemplation that
was ideal for this humanist. Read the works of Plato. Humanism is place here as
an extended function of Lorenzo’s natural meanings towards intellectual
pursuits.

 The way terraces are cut into the hillside shows great skill & explains why this
place feels so anchored to the hill. The mounts of the terraces are balanced,
provides a very nestled feeling. The garden was made for the house; the house
was designed for the garden. Enter the villa thru the open walkway, from the
garden & encounter a west facing Loggia, overlooking the valley. Most Italians
you will find water, shade & terracing
5. Which villa is considered to be the best representation of Renaissance ideas,
and why?
 Villa Lante – became church property but is not with the state. 3 separate levels
of elevation. Ordered along one single axis. Vermante used stairs. This villa tells
2 stories: one of classical antiquity and one of nature’s systems (light water
vegetation)

 told the story of the transition from man having power over nature to
nature's full control
 land took importance over structures

6. What was the particular idea behind the design of Villa Lante; what elements
were used and how
 Light, water, vegetation – as you ascend the terraces, water flows the opposite
way, huge garden,

 Light-transition from bright light to dark shade

 Water-transition from calm & refined at the bottom to wild &
naturalistic at the top
 Vegetation – from tightly clipped to loose & unconfined.
 The flow of water is from the top to the bottom. Fountain of the
Moor’s-dominated the garden, highly controlled man-made
environment, note the square and circle motive indicate mathematical
equations are expression of man-nature connection. At the twin
cassini; the axial sequence is important the building gets cut in two;
one for dinning & one for sleeping. On the second Terrance contains
the fountain of lights; name comes from seventy candle light jets of
water. On the 3 rd level, is treated similar to the Belvedere, by use of
the twin staircase, from here on the plants become more dense. There
are two urns at the top. There is a large stone banquet table with a
long basin of water cut in the middle; called Cardinals table, trough
was thought to be used as a cooling buffet, but it was actually a
7. How did Cardinal d’Este express his importance
 Kicked people out of a monastery to make his villa and demolished a third of the
local town to expand his villa and diverted a major river for his fountain
8. What was the Baroque attitude toward nature
 Nature was woven throughout to enhance the experience
9. Compare it to previous cultures discussed in class; which came closest to a
similar reaction?