Tuscanicae dispositiones sive opera dorica

This volume investigates the complex question of the 'Tuscan Order' in Roman architecture, from a careful re-reading of Vitruvius to a meticulous analysis of all the available archaeological data. Without doubt, the past interpretations of Renaissance architects have continued to influence the course of modern studies on this 'order', and this reliance has often resulted in forced connections between the actual remains and Vitruvius' description in De architectura. The present work, therefore, sets out to re-explore the entire subject from a conceptual viewpoint, by focusing on the fundamental logic that underlay the use of the Tuscan order in Roman architecture, from its initial manifestations in Italic Hellenism to its maturation in the imperial age. This book proposes an altogether different vision of the 'Tuscan order' as a series of partial manifestations in the continuing metamorphosis of the Doric order.