Vitruvio

Architecture is a form of knowledge that requires practice and rational thought. Practice is accomplished with the hands work and rational thought is an intellectual activity, which allows interpreting and discovering the already built works. Vitruvius stated that focusing only in one would not allow the architect to have success. If the architect doesn’t have enough intellectual and cultural knowledge, his works would lack of prestige and admiration. On the other hand, if he only focuses in the intellectual side, he wouldn’t be able to project what’s on his mind. The ones that have a balance and are good in both have more weapons to accomplish their goals. There are two terms which architects should dominate, the “signified” and the “significance”. Signified refers to the subject it’s been talking about and the significance why it means that and it’s demonstrated by practical and theory principles. An architect should be an educated man and must know basically about everything in order to come up with a successful result. For Vitruvius it is important that an architect should know about drawing, geometry, optics, arithmetic, history, philosophy, music, medicine, law and astrology. Architecture is very complex and it’s related to all these forms of knowledge. However, and architect would never be an expert and dominate all this sciences, it’s enough if the architect knows of each science what would concern in dealing with architecture. Architecture is composed by 6 fundamental principles: order, arrangement, eurhythmy, symmetry, propriety and economy. These principles are the most important properties of an architectonic work. It is basic that an architect should learn how to use them. On the other hand, architecture has three main departments: the art of building, the making of timepieces, and the construction of machinery. The art of building consists on the construction of fortified towns and of works for general use in public places. There are three