| Leonis baptiste Alberti de re aedifica toria incipit lege feliciter | |
| 1485 |  |
| Leone Battista Alberti(1404-1472) | |
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Alberti was an accomplished architect in Europe during the 15th century and was the most important architectural theorist of renaissance in Italy. He learned Latin and Greek in Padova and further studied law and philosophy at the University of Bologna which is the oldest university in the world. Alberti also taught himself mathematics and physics and gained an extensive range of knowledge. At the age of 27, Alberti served in the court of Pope Eugenio IV because of his extensive knowledge. In 1434, he traveled to Florence with the Pope, where he observed artworks, such as sculptures by Donatello and architecture by Brunelleschi, particularly in the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore Church, for the first time and where he became considerably interested in arts. Subsequently, he began to create paintings and sculptures and conducted research on perspective projections. Among his works during this period, only one item remains today, which is a self-portrait relief located at the National Art Gallery in Washington. Alberti was especially fascinated by Brunelleschi and gradually became interested in architecture. Alberti had a strong theoretical interest, whether in art or any other form of expression. Therefore, he wrote several books on theories ranging from “Painting Theory” (published in 1436 and dedicated to Brunelleschi) to those in other fields that he was interested in, including moral theory, social theory, cartography, and sculpture. Architecture was no exception. He compiled his architectural theory in this book after extending his experience in architecture by designing buildings and investigating archaeological sites in ancient Rome. At that time, Italy was in the age of renaissance denying the Christianity-centered medieval. People in Italy considered the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome to be ideal and attempted to revive them. The only available book on ancient Roman architectural theory, “De Architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)” by Vitruvius, descended from ancient Rome, which was a must read for architects at that time. Of course, Alberti read this book and was considerably impressed. By developing the theory presented in the book of Vitruvius, Arberti compiled a theory in the book that has been described here to create his own ideal architectural design. Alberti considered architecture to be an art in which academics in all the fields are integrated. For example, he insisted that if one wanted to become an architect, he/she must first learn painting and mathematics. Alberti also stated that one must know the political system for understanding the social and personal demands. Following Vitruvius’s book, Alberti organized his book and named it “De Architectura (Ten Books on Architecture).” As soon as the book was published, it became a best seller among the architects at the time and extensively influenced the European architecture. Today, we can observe several of his remaining architectural works. In the author’s opinion, the facade of Santa Maria Novella Church (1458–1471) in Florence is arguably one of the most beautiful buildings designed by Alberti. |
