De re aedificatoria

About “De re aedificatoria”

De Re Aedificatoria by Leon Battista Alberti is the first modern treatise on architecture, covering both theory and practice. It is the first English translation based on Alberti’s original Latin text, which is essential to understanding his reputation as a theorist. The translation by Joseph Rykwert and colleagues is based on a 1966 critical edition by Giovanni Orlandi, replacing an earlier English version that used a sixteenth-century Italian translation. The book includes an introduction discussing Alberti’s life, his work in architecture and writing, and the influence of De Re Aedificatoria on architectural theory. It also contains an index and glossary. Alberti aimed to replace the long-standing authority of Vitruvius, offering a more elegant and precise account of ancient architectural knowledge. His work established architecture as a disciplined profession and provided a theoretical foundation for Renaissance architecture. He organized architectural practice into three principles: solidity, use, and grace. The ten books cover definitions, materials, construction, building types, sacred architecture, beauty, proportions, and restoration.