Geometry of vaulted systems in the treatises by Guarino Guarini

Abstract

[EN] Guarini first develops a rigorous and systematic discourse on vaulted systems. In three treatises: Architettura Civile, Euclides adauctus, and Modo di misurare le fabriche, he described the geometric nature of the vaults, the principles of geometry and their practices in the stereotomy, and the measurement of the vaults’ surfaces and volumes, respectively. In this paper, moving from previous studies, the significant relationships between the Architettura Civile and Modo di misurare le fabriche are deepened, also in light to the theoretical bases established in the Euclides adauctus. Graphical analyses and reconstructive digital models, linking the texts to the original diagrams and drawings of the treatises, allow to highlight the role of geometry in Guarini’s theorization and the logic of shapes’ composition at the basis of his inventions, and constitute a knowledge base to recognize and interpret the geometric structure of the vaults in Baroque built heritage.