Travel Notebook of Vincenzo Scamozzi Facsimile Edition

The Travel Notebook of Vincenzo Scamozzi records the renowned architect's journey from Paris to Venice in 1600. He took notes on the weather, geography, local stones, and architecture in the regions he passed through. Notably, he also produced detailed drawings, particularly of Gothic churches. Scamozzi's notes and fifteen drawings reflect his interest in studying the use of pointed arches and buttresses, which differed from the architectural traditions with which he was already familiar.

The notebook is now preserved in the Civic Museum of Vicenza, the northern Italian town where Scamozzi was born in 1548.

Contents and Significance

Throughout his journeys, Scamozzi meticulously documented his observations through detailed notes and precise sketches capturing remarkable examples of French Gothic architecture. His notebook reveals a systematic approach to understanding technical aspects of building construction, which Scamozzi himself characterized as a rigorous science. The drawings are complemented by extensive annotations regarding construction materials and their technical properties, demonstrating Scamozzi's methodical documentation of architectural practices.

Provenance

This valuable manuscript, known as the Travel Notebook of Vincenzo Scamozzi, was originally gifted to the Bertoliana Civic Library in Vicenza by Arnaldo I Arnaldi Tornieri. In 1855, it was transferred to the permanent collection of the Civic Museum of Vicenza, where it remains preserved as a testament to Renaissance architectural scholarship.