Full text: Vitruvius: The architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio

HERE are five distinct kinds of cavædiums, which from their forms are named thus, 
Tuscan, Corinthian, Tetrastyle, Displuviated, and Testudinated. 
The Tuscan kind are those in which the beams (a a) that cross the breadth of 
Fig. LIII. 
the atrium, have interpensivae (bb); and gutters (cc) proceeding from the angles 
of the walls to the angles of the joists; also from the assers (e) the eaves water is discharged 
into the middle compluvium (dd). 
(1*) The term cavaedium is derived from the words 
cava-aedium, and means courts or other void spaces 
within the body of a house. 
(2*) Perrault has represented the interpensivae as 
diagonal props or braces, their lower ends resting in the 
wall, and their upper ends supporting the eaves projected 
forward: but this is not reconcileable to the words of the 
text, in the description of the tetrastyle cavaedium; 
ee utilitatem trabibus & firmitatem praestant, quod neque 
et ipsae magnum impetum coguntur habere, neque ab 
et interpensivis onerantur;' which imply that the inter- 
bensivae were things supported, not supports; and allo 
that they were not situated under the beams, but rested 
upon them. Perrault would interpolate the text in orden 
to make it bear his construction, by adding parietibus after 
trabibus, and thus transferring the allusion of the passag 
from the beams to the walls. 
Galiani is of opinion that the interpensivae were two 
beams that laid lengthways of the cavaedium over the two 
beams that laid breadthways; and has translated the text 
accordingly. But as in such a case the beams on two 
sides of the cavæedium would lie higher than those on the 
other two sides, the columns that supported those beams 
in the Corinthian cavæediums (which are described to be 
the same as the Tuscan, with only the addition of columns 
around) would also be of different heights; which is an 
irregularity so unusual that it cannot be admitted. Besides, 
Vitruvius has in other places described the beams by the 
term trabes, and it is not likely that in this place only he 
should have called them interpenlivae. 
B00 K. VI. 
CHAPTER III. 
Of Cavædiums. 
Philander supposes the interpensivae to be the joists or 
timbers (b b) that were laid from the wall to the beams 
(a a) Fig. LIII. and LIV. which is also my opinion, ex¬ 
cepting that I believe the word was confined in its appli- 
cation to those cases where the faid joists projected beyond 
the beams, forming what we now call consoles, or canti- 
livers, as in the Tuscan order according to the description 
of Vitruvius. But Perrault alleges, in opposition to the 
opinion of Philander, that the interpensivae are described 
to proceed from the angles of the walls to the angles of 
the joists (tignae): that I think is not the case, as the 
words of the text may, and I believe do, allude to the 
gutters (colliquias), and not to the interpensivae. 
Perrault also differs from all the other translators in his 
acceptation of the word colliquias, which he has rendered 
the coyers, i. e. the rafters that are placed at the angles of 
roofs; but it is highly probable that it signifies some 
kind of gutters or channels, as it is generally understood. 
Columella, 2. 8. uses it in that sense, and Pliny, 18. 19. 
writes collicias (as it is also written in some manuscripts 
of Vitruvius) in the same signification. 
(3*) Barbaro and Galiani suppose the compluvium to 
be a reservoir made in the middle of the pavement of the 
cavaedium, but in the displuviated cavaedium it is said 
the compluviums being erect intercept not the light from 
the apartments. Which words forbid such a supposition, 
and shew that the compluvium must be above the win¬ 
dows. Perrault judges it to be the gutter (dd) at the 
eaves where the rain water from the whole roof is col- 
lected; and this opinion seems to me to be just, and is
	        
Waiting...

Note to user

Dear user,

In response to current developments in the web technology used by the Goobi viewer, the software no longer supports your browser.

Please use one of the following browsers to display this page correctly.

Thank you.

powered by Goobi viewer