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Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio Quotes

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Famous Marcus Vitruvius Pollio Quotes

“Proportion is that agreeable harmony between the several parts of a building, which is the result of a just and regular agreement of them with each other; the height to the width, this to the length, and each of these to the whole.”

WholeResultsBuildingHarmonyHeightProportionAgreementLengthWidth
Book:The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt
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“The winter oak... is very useful in buildings but when in a moist place it takes in water to its centre... and so it rots. The Turkey oak and the beech both... take in moisture to their centre and soon decay. White and black poplar, as well as willow, linden, and the agnus castus... are of great service from their stiffness... they are a convenient material to use in carving.”

WellsUseBlackWaterWhiteBuildingMaterialsWinterDecayCentreTurkeysConvenientOaksCarvingGreat ServiceMoistureStiffness
Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
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“Geometry is of much assistance in architecture, and in particular it teaches us the use of the rule and compasses, by which especially we acquire readiness in making plans for buildings in their grounds, and rightly apply the square, the level, and the plummet. By means of optics the light in buildings can be drawn from fixed quarters of the sky. Difficult questions involving symmetry are solved by means of geometrical theories and methods.”

MeanUseLightDifficultLevelsTeachPlansSkyBuildingParticularTheoryMethodArchitectureFixedAcquireSquaresQuartersAssistanceCompassGeometryInvolvingReadinessSymmetryOpticsDifficult Questions
Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
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