De Architectura

Vitruvius's ten books on building.

Overview

De Architectura, written in the 1st century BC by Vitruvius, is the only architectural treatise to survive from antiquity.

Core Characteristics

• Defines firmitas, utilitas, venustas — strength, utility, beauty.
• Covers machines, aqueducts, materials and proportions.
• Recovered in the Renaissance, it shaped architectural education.

Key Themes

• Classicism: proportion.
• Engineering: Roman practice.

Influence and Legacy

Every Renaissance treatise, from Alberti to Palladio, answers it.

Related Concepts & Techniques

Classicism (theory), Engineering (technique), Proportion (theory), Vitruvius (architect)

Directory

Publications Registry, Architecture Hub, History