LA CITTÀ IDEALE: VITRUVIUS, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, ANTONIO FILARETE, AND VINCENZO SCAMOZZI (PALMA NOVA)

7 important questions on LA CITTÀ IDEALE: VITRUVIUS, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, ANTONIO FILARETE, AND VINCENZO SCAMOZZI (PALMA NOVA)

Plans for ideal cities were not just studies of architectural and urban consistency with Renaissance ideals and the application of the rules of geometry and perspective what was the other attempt of this plans?

They also try to attempt to charge architectural and urban design with a clear intention to support a changing social and political condition. Ideal urban forms could work as a catalyst for an idealized social order.

Military purpose is also an important factor to take into account

What significant changes in social structure happens during the transition of a medieval city to a renaissance city?

during the 15th century, a new political order and power structure was established within European cities – particularly in Italy – which expressed itself as a political entity with princes, rulers, and aristocratic elites.

What was new for Renaissance architects?

Renaissance architects could, for the first time, contemplate the act of town planning as an artistic endeavour. For the first time, the city was not merely created or planned but effectively designed. The city was a work of art.
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What were the key elements of Renaissance architecture and urban planning?

- beauty was held to both proportionalities and the clear relationship (often symmetry)                between different components of the composition.
- At the core, Renaissance architecture aimed at a mathematical perfection.
- every element is in its correct position ( no extra elements if not necessary)
   -> therefore, circle and square are admired.
-beauty was inevitable dependent on the completeness
    -> hard to accomplish in cities as a whole therefore only renaissance parts.
- churches where squared or circular. 

summary: proportions, scale, symmetry where important

Vitruvius has described a (renaissance) city based on geometrical forms give a short description of this city.

-> circular city
-> main forum in the middel of the circle
-> 8 radial primary streets connecting the main forum with the walls of the town -> not gateways but to corner towers.

Advantages: Wind and military

Alberti idea of the ideal Renaissance city was based on the ideas of vitruvius. What where the main characteristics of the idea of Alberti?

-> urban fabric formalized as a centralized square with radiating streets.
-> in large cities these streets were to be wide and straight which enhanced the splendour
of the city, facilitate movement and ensures sanitary condition by allowing daylight, sunshine and fresh air.
-> the place at the centre of the city was reserved for the city's cathedral. -> this principle became the standard in the ideal Renaissance city.

Palmanova was the only built ideal city of the Renaissance period what were the characteristics of Palmanova

-> based on the ideas of vitruvius and Alberti
-> nine-sided polygon shape with an squared centre in regular 9 sided hexagon.
-> orthogonal grid rather than a radial-concentric system -> leads to tention where the grid meets the nine-sided polygon.

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