Palladio, Andrea: The four books of Andrea Palladio's architecture (Band 3): Wherein the ways, bridges, piazzas, basilicas, and xisti are treated of (London, 1738)

7o

THIRD BOOK.

middle of the river. But considering, that of all the bridges I have seen, that at RJmino
a city in Fiaminia, seems to me to be the most beautiful, and the moil worthy os conlil
deration, as well sor its strength, as sor its compartment and disposition. It was built, I
Plate 7. judge, by Augustus Cesar. I have given the dcligns of it, which are thole that sol-
low. It is divided into rive arches, the three middle ones arc equal, and five and twenty
foot in breadth, and the two next the banks arc Ids, that is, only twenty soot broad.
All thole arches are semicircutar, and their modeno is the tenth part os the void os the
greater, and the eighth part of the void of the lesser. The pilasters are in thickness, a little
less than half the void of the greater arches. The angle os the spurs, that cut the water
is a right one, which I have oblervcd that the antients made in nil their bridges; bcc.iuie
it is stronger than the acute one, and theresore less expoled to be ruined by the trees, or
by other matters that ihould be carried down by the river. Directly over the pilasters, fai
the sides of the bridge, are sonie tabernacles, in which sormerly there mult have been
statucs. Over thele tabernacles, according to the length of the bridge, there is a cornice,
which although it is plain, asfords a beautiful ornament to the whole work.
A, Is thesiiid cornice over the tabernacles of the bridge.
B, Is tbeswsact cs the water,
C, Is the bottom os tin-river.
D, Afcak os ten soot, •withid'icb this bridge is meeisured.

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CHAP. XII.

is

Of the Bridge of Vicenza that is over the Bacchiglione.
THERE run through Vicenza two rivers, one of which is called the Bacchiglione,
and the other the Rerone. The Rerone, as it goes out os the city, enters into the
Bacchigiicnc, and immediately loses its name. Over these rivers are two antient bridges; os
that over the Bacchiglione, the pilasters and one arch, itill intire, arc to be seen near the
church of S. Maria de gli Angioli. The remaining part is all modern work. This bridge
is divided into three arches; that in the middle is thirty foot wide, the other two arc but
two and twenty foot and an hals in breadth} which was done that the river might have in
the middle a freer course. The pilasters are in thickness the fisth part os the void os the
lesser arches, and the sixth of the greater. The arches have in height the third part os
their diameter. Their modeno is in thickness the ninth part of the Idler arches, and the
twelfth os that in the middle, and are wrought in the manner os an architrave. In the
extream parts of the length of the pilasters, under the imports of the arches, some Hones
project sorward, which in building of the bridge, served to mpport the beams, upon which
were made the centerings or the arches. And, in this manner, the danger os the floods
carrying away the beams, to the ruin os the work, was avoided; which had it been done
othcrwise, it would have been necessary to drive them into the river, to make the laid
centering.
A, Is the breaslwork os the bridge.
C, Is the mode/10 os the arches.
D, Are the ssatus that projess jrom the remaining part csthe piia/lcrs, and serve
sor the centring os the arches.
E, Are the heads os the bridge.



Plate
end

CHAP. XIII.
Of aStone Bridge o/"?/y invention.
' I ^ H E invention os the sollowing bridge, is, in my opinion, very beautisul, and well
10 X adapted to die place where it was to have been built; which was in the middle os
a city, that is one os the greatest, and os the moll noble in Italy, and is the metropolis os
many other cities, and where there is a very great trafrick carried on, almolt srom every. p;it
os the world. The river is very broad, and the bridge would have been in the very sj»l
where

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