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⭐ In the context of Renaissance humanism, *De Architectura* – specifically Vitruvius’s work on human proportions – is considered reflective of what core humanist belief?

The rediscovery of Vitruvius’s work during the Renaissance, coupled with humanist thought, led to the belief that the perfectly proportioned human body mirrored the divine order, emphasizing humanity’s special place in the cosmos and inherent dignity.

⭐ Core Definition: De Architectura

De architectura (On architecture, published as Ten Books on Architecture) is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide for building projects. As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissance as the first known book on architectural theory, as well as a major source on the canon of classical architecture.

It contains a variety of information on Greek and Roman buildings, as well as prescriptions for the planning and design of military camps, cities, and structures both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). Since Vitruvius wrote early in the Roman architectural revolution that saw the full development of cross vaulting, domes, concrete, and other innovations associated with Imperial Roman architecture, his ten books give little information on these distinctive innovations of Roman building design and technology.

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👉 De Architectura in the context of Renaissance humanism

"In his explicit turn back to an ancient model in search of knowledge and wisdom, Leonardo follows early humanist practice. What he finds in Vitruvius is a mathematical formula for the proportions of all parts of the human body, which results in its idealized representation as the true microcosmic measure of all things. [...]The perfection of this ideal human form corresponds visually to the early humanist belief in the unique central placement of human beings within the divine universal order and their consequent human grandeur and dignity, expressed in the philosopher Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man (1486), known as the manifesto of the Renaissance."

— Anne Hudson Jones

Renaissance humanism is a worldview centered on the nature and importance of humanity that emerged from the study of Classical antiquity.

Renaissance humanists sought to create a citizenry able to speak and write with eloquence and clarity, and thus capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities and persuading others to virtuous and prudent actions. Humanism, while set up by a small elite who had access to books and education, was intended as a cultural movement to influence all of society. It was a program to revive the cultural heritage, literary legacy, and moral philosophy of the Greco-Roman civilization.

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De Architectura in the context of "Renaissance humanism"

⭐ In the context of Renaissance humanism, De Architectura – specifically Vitruvius’s work on human proportions – is considered reflective of what core humanist belief?

⭐ Core Definition: De Architectura

👉 De Architectura in the context of Renaissance humanism


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