"Aside from his additions to the ducal palaces at Urbino and Gubbio, it is [Francesco's] work as military architect for which he is renowned. The defenses that he designed for the duchy of Montefeltro are among the first attempts to build fortifications capable of withstanding cannon shot while being defended by flanking fire, in the manner that would ultimately lead to the fully realized angle bastions of the sixteenth century. Francesco deals substantially with fortification in the penultimate book of his Trattato. Like Vitruvius, he saw the art as an integral component of classical building tradition. Francesco's drawings show many forms of fortification, but few of these are fully effective or efficient. ... Francesco's writings were never published in his lifetime. The Trattato remained in manuscript form, surviving in several different versions, which date to essentially two different periods of his career. This copy was based on a later composition, completed sometime after 1482. While the drawings are at least partly in Francesco's hand, the text was written by copyists sometime around 1520."--Compass and rule : architecture as mathematical practice in early modern England, 1550-1750.
The present manuscript is a copy of the second version of the treatise. It is not listed in Gustina Scaglia, Francesco di Giorgio: Checklist and History of Manuscripts and Drawings in Autographs and Copies from ca. 1470 to 1687 and Renewed Copies (1764-1839) (London and Toronto: Associated University Presses, 1992). Of the manuscripts published in Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Trattati di architettura, ingegneria e arte militare, ed. Corrado Maltese (Milan: Il Polifilo, 1967), it is most closely related to the version in Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, ex-Magliabecchianus II.I.141. There are still many variations within the text. The version of the text in Magliabecchinus II.I.141 was probably completed about 1492; see Richard J. Betts, “On the Chronology of Francesco di Giorgio's Treatises: New Evidence from an Unpublished Manuscript”, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 36:1 (1977), p.13.
Written in Italy in the 16th century. On f. 89v is a note with the year 1521, giving a terminus ad quem for the manuscript.
Thick paper. There are two watermarks in the volume. The first is an anchor similar to Briquet 470 (Casalmaggiore, 1526), occurring in quires I-III and V. The second is an anchor and star similar to Briquet 478 (Bergamo, 1502), occurring in quires III-IV and VI-X.
Written in a single column with approximately 39-40 lines per full page. 408 x 285 mm (304 x 167 mm).
Collation: iii (paper, contemporary with binding) + I-V¹⁰, VI⁸, VII¹⁰, VIII⁸, IX¹⁰, X⁹ (construction unclear) + iii (paper, contemporary with binding).
Written and corrected in an italic script by several hands using inks ranging from dark to reddish brown. The scribes leave blank spaces for decorated initials, which have not been added. There are marginal notes in contemporary hands.
Bound in 18th century mottled calf with gilt borders. Marbled endpapers with a "French Curl" pattern. The front pastedown is slightly damaged, presumably from the removal of an earlier bookplate.
In Italian.
Record created by YCBA staff from research and description by Katherine Hindley, Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Research Associate, Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Yale Center for British Art, 2015.
Selected exhibitions: "Paul Mellon's Legacy: A Passion for British Art" (Yale Center for British Art, 18 April-29 July, 2007); "Compass and rule : architecture as mathematical practice in early modern England, 1550-1750" (Yale Center for British Art, February 18, 2010-May 30, 2010).