Chapter 5
Vitruvian Temple Types
Palladio's illustrations for Daniele Barbaro's 1567 commentary on Vitruvius provide a unique window into his geometric thinking. These designs for ideal temple types — in antis, prostyle, amphiprostyle, peripteral, dipteral, and pseudodipteral — translate Vitruvius's verbal descriptions into precise geometric constructions.
The analysis reveals that Palladio did not simply illustrate Vitruvius's text literally. Instead, he interpreted the ancient prescriptions through his own geometric method, using the equilateral triangle to generate proportions that are consistent with Vitruvius's rules while embedding a deeper geometric coherence.
This chapter demonstrates that the geometric method was not Palladio's invention but his inheritance — a living tradition of design practice stretching back to antiquity.
Temple in Antis
The simplest temple form, with columns set between projecting walls (antae). Palladio's proportions for this type reveal the equilateral triangle governing the relationship between cella width and depth.
Prostyle & Amphiprostyle
Temples with columnar porches at one or both ends. The spacing and height of the porch columns follow the same √3/2 proportional system found in Palladio's own designs.
Peripteral
The fully surrounded temple. Palladio's design for this type uses the equilateral triangle to establish the relationship between the peristyle and the cella it encloses.
Dipteral & Pseudodipteral
Double-colonnaded temples. The geometric analysis shows how the equilateral triangle generates both the outer and inner column spacing from a single base dimension.
Significance
The Barbaro Vitruvius illustrations are critical evidence because they show Palladio applying his geometric method to designs that are explicitly linked to ancient Roman practice. This bridges the gap between Palladio's own buildings and the ancient tradition, suggesting a continuous geometric practice rather than an individual innovation.