Ad Quadratum: The Practical Application Of Geometry In Medieval Architecture (avista Studies In The History Of Medieval Technology, Science And Art)

The purpose of the project is to provide the most up-to-date survey on issues dealing with practical geometry and how it might have been applied in the design of medieval architecture. Chronologically, the topics cover a wide span - from early Medieval through Late Gothic. Geographically, the monuments under discussion range from Early Medieval Florence through Carolingian Germany, Crusader Cyprus, Romanesque France and Gothic England. The applications of both geometry and metrology are considered in this volume, often with illustrations generated by computer-assisted design (CAD) software. The project therefore offers recent scholarship in the field, as well as cutting-edge technology which helps propel the pursuit of such studies. To this end, the project is the first of its kind both in terms of its focus and its comprehensiveness. Such a project is sorely needed to introduce this highly specialized discipline to other historians of art, history, and science of the Middle Ages, as well as historians in most humanistic areas. About the Author: About the Editor: Nancy Y. Wu, Dr, Associate Museum Educator, The Cloisters - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA "The purpose of the project is to provide the most up-to-date survey on issues dealing with practical geometry and how it might have been applied in the design of medieval architecture. Chronologically, the topics cover a wide span - from early Medieval through Late Gothic. Geographically, the monuments under discussion range from Early Medieval Florence through Carolingian Germany, Crusader Cyprus, Romanesque France and Gothic England. The applications of both geometry and metrology are considered in this volume, often with illustrations generated by computer-assisted design (CAD) software. The project therefore offers recent scholarship in the field, as well as cutting-edge technology which helps propel the pursuit of such studies. To this end, the project is the first of its kind both in terms of its focus and its comprehensiveness. Such a project is sorely needed to introduce this highly specialized discipline to other historians of art, history, and science of the Middle Ages, as well as historians in most humanistic areas." -- Publisher's description Practical geometry and how it might have been applied in the design of medieval architecture is the subject of this book. The 11 papers by the international team of contributors, together with the introduction by Eric Fernie, present an up-to-date look at the latest scholarship, covering an area from Carolingian Germany and Romanesque Italy to Crusader Cyprus and Gothic France. The applications of geometry and metrology are illustrated with figures largely generated by computer-assisted design (CAD) programs, using new technology to overcome the limitations of earlier analysis of plans. These papers aim to present the current state of thinking on the uses of geometry in medieval architecture. The volume should prove useful to historians of art, history and science of the Middle Ages