Introduction

Welcome to the virtual exhibition, which serves as an expansion of an in-depth exploration of the drawings featured in Francesco Di Giorgio's Opusculum de architectura, as scrutinized in the article "From quarry to city: Visualizing the transportation of a monolithic column in Francesco di Giorgio’s Opusculum de architectura" (Van der Snickt, K. 2023). This online exhibition exclusively showcases animations and visual representations that enhance the comprehensive textual analysis presented in the study.

Abstract

This study aims to comprehend the column lifting devices illustrated in Francesco di Giorgio’s Opusculum de architectura. To achieve this, the lifting devices are contextualized within the column's journey, spanning from the quarry to the city. These machines play a pivotal role at crucial locations, such as the quarry, harbour and within the city, where they facilitate transitions between different modes of transportation. Crucially, renderings and animations are extensively employed throughout this study to vividly visualize these operational processes. Complementing this study, an online exhibition has been organized, featuring animated presentations of the machines. This platform offers supplementary information that goes beyond what can be conveyed in a traditional paper document.

Keywords: column, machine, quarry, harbour, city.