The Tuscan Temple According to Vitruvius
According to the principles described by Vitruvius in Book IV of his treatise De Architectura, the design of an Etruscan temple (or Tuscan-order temple) followed precise proportional and structural criteria, known as dispositiones tuscanicae (FIG. 16, 17).
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- Fig. 17 – Modello tempio tuscanico
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- Fig. 16 – Ricostruzione templi di Pyrgi
2. Foundation of the Sanctuary (7th century BC): Excavations beneath Temple A revealed a section of the first temenos (stone enclosure wall), dated to the second quarter of the 7th century BC (675–650 BC), representing a unique example of such an early date in northern Etruria (FIG. 6, 8, 11).
The scientific rediscovery of the site followed a path marked by three key phases:
Division of Space: The temple plan, which was almost square in shape (with a width-to-length ratio of 5:6), was divided into two main sections. The rear part (pars postica) was enclosed and usually subdivided into three adjoining cells (cellae), arranged according to a 3:4:3 ratio, or alternatively consisted of a single cell with two lateral wings. The front part (pars antica) was generally an open atrium or an area enclosed by side walls.
Column Arrangement: In the pars antica, Vitruvius specifies the placement of four columns on the façade, with two additional columns positioned centrally in the rear row, aligned with the walls of the cells.
Orientation: Following the religious prescriptions of the Etruscan discipline, the main entrance had to face midday (south).
Elevation: The entire building was to stand on a raised podium, a platform serving as a foundation above ground level.
Rule of the Right Foot: Vitruvius specifies that the podium staircase should consist of an odd number of steps (III, 4, 4). This rule ensured that worshippers, beginning the ascent with the right foot, would reach the top of the temple while again placing the same foot forward, a practice considered auspicious.
Height and Diameter: The height of the columns was calculated proportionally to the overall width of the building. Vitruvius also defines the relationship between the diameter at the base of the column (imoscapus) and that at the top (summoscapus), ensuring the column’s tapering.
Wall Materials: The walls of the superstructure could be made of sun-dried clay bricks (lateres), often supported by a wooden framework. According to Vitruvius, such walls were capable of supporting two-storey buildings when constructed using specific modular arrangements (laid lengthwise or on edge).
Absence of Trusses: The Etruscan architectural tradition and the Roman building system described by Vitruvius for these temples did not include the use of roof trusses.
Timber Framework: The structure consisted of a massive framework of beams, generally made of oak or downy oak. The system included:
Mutuli: horizontal beams placed above the walls.
Trabes compactiles: paired transverse beams arranged to support the load.
Cantherii and templa: layers of intersecting and inclined beams forming the roof slopes.
Eaves and Roof Pitch: Vitruvius defines the length of the eaves, which in temples of large proportions could have a considerable overhang. Although he does not explicitly mention the roof pitch, archaeological evidence suggests angles between 12° and 20°. The roof was completed with a mixed system of flat roof tiles (tegulae) and semicylindrical cover tiles (imbrices).
