Glossary
For common abbreviations throughout his works, see the page here.
Architectural terms
Cross-section – [see Section]
Elevation – a method of architectural representation that shows a structure from one side (Ital: elevazione)
Poche - Poche walls are dark or black areas in an architectural plan that can denote uninhabitable space (such as the interior space of a wall) or, as is often the case for Piranesi, extant rather than conjectured structures.
Section – a method of architectural representation that shows a structure as if it has been cut vertically in order to depict volume and building materials (Ital: spaccato)
Italian terms
A
Abitazione - housing
Acquedotto - aqueduct (also simply referred to as 'Acqua')
Ambulacro - ambulatory, in a cathedral the processional space at the far end of the church behind the altar and choir
Arcadia, Arcadi - Accademia dell'Arcadia, members called 'Arcadi', prestigious and well known Academy of literature and philosophy in Rome of which Piranesi was a member, considerable importance in Roman culture in 18th c., prominent intellectuals include Muratori, Gravina, Crescimbeni, founded by Queen Christina of Sweden
Arco, Archi - arches
Architrave - architrave, part below the tympanum (the triangular part above the columns in the pantheon for ex.)
Arcuazione - arcuation, the way in which a series of arches are built
Argine - bank, embankment, dam
Attico - attic (order of architecture), or lower wall above the cornice in classical buildings
Avanzi - remains, ruins
Aja - barnyard, farmyard, threshing floor
B
Baloardo – bastion, rampart
Barbacani – barbicans, fortified towers
Bassirilievi - bas-reliefs
Bozza – boss, projecting stone, keystone
Braccio, braccia pl. - literally 'arm', unit of measurement in early modern Italy
C
Capitello, capitelli pl. - capital of a column
Capriccio - caprice, fancy
Casa - house
Cavi - excavations or ropes, cables
Chiesa - church
Circo - circus
Circonferenza - circumference, perimeter
Cloaca - sewer, outlets that formed the ancient roman sewage system
Collegio - kind of academy/college usually in monastic orders, the collegio romano was a jesuit institution that had a large museum of antiquities for ex.
Colonna - column
Cordonata - ramp, staircase
Cuneo - Voussoir, a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault
F
Fabbrica - building, structure
Fenili - spaces where hay was stored, in modern Italian 'fienili'
Festoni - festoons
Finestra, finestre - Window, windows
Forami - type of hole or opening
Forfice – term used by Vitruvius, now called forbice, tool used to lift or wedge
Fornice - opening of an arch usually a passageway (the arch in the arch of Titus for ex.)
Foro - Forum
Fontana - fountain
Fregio - frieze
Frontespizio - usually refers to the pediment, but can refer to the frontal part of architectural surface, usually part of a facade, or entire facade (also called facciata), used for first page in a book as well
G
Galleria - gallery (of paintings, statues)
Granito - granite
Grottesco/grotteschi - decorative style of masks and other vegetal forms used to decorate ancient Roman buildings, popular in early modern period, literally 'grotesques'
I
Incisione - engraving, print
Insigne - famous, renown
Iscrizione - inscription
L
Lago - lake
M
Macigni - large blocks of stone, boulders
Maestà - majesty
Magazzeno - shop, store, storehouse, warehouse, shed, depot
Magnificenza - magnificence
Marmo - marble
Monte - mountain, hill
Mosaici, musaici - Mosaics
Mura (pl.) - city walls
Muro - wall
N
Nicchia - niche
Nicchione - large niche
O
Orto - garden
oggidì (sometimes 'in oggi') - today, currently, nowadays, in present times
P
Palmo, palmi (pl.) - unit of measurement
Peperino, peperini - type of grey marble common in Rome
Peristilo - peristyle, a colonnade surrounding a building or court, an open space enclosed by a colonnade
Perni - pivot, joint, adjoining architectural element
Pianta - map, architectural plan, perspective is typically from above
Piazza - city square
Piedistallo - pedestal
Pila - pier, pilaster
Pilastri, pilastrelli - pilasters
Ponte - bridge
Profilo - cross section, side view, contour of an object
Pronao - pronaos or vestibule made of columns before the entrance proper to a building (the pantheon is a good example)
R
Ripa - bank (along a river)
Risarcimento - restoration, repair, rebuilt
Ristaurato - restored, rebuilt
Restituire - to restore, rebuild
Rostro - Latin Rostra, plural, a platform for speakers in the Roman Forum decorated with the beaks of captured ships, from plural of rostrum, an ancient Roman platform for public orators, the curved end of a ship's prow
S
Scarpellino – small chisel
Scavare - to excavate
Sedile - seat, seating (of a theater usually), chair, cradle
Sepolcro - sepulcher, tomb
Spaccato - section, cross section, plan
Speco - cavern, canal
Stadio - stadium, also a unit of measurement used in early Italian texts, most commonly texts of geography ie Ptolemy
Stampa - print
Stipiti - jambs
Stucco - type of plaster used typically in ornament or decoration
T
Tazza - pool, fountain
Tegoloni - curved tiles, roof tiles specifically, tegula in latin, made of clay traditionally, marble, bronze, gilt, sometimes had insignia used for dating of sites
Tempio - Temple
Terme - Baths
Tepidario - tepidarium, warm room of the ancient Roman thermae used to sit in
Tevolozza - tile, type of brick
Timpano/Tympano - tympanum
Travertino, Travertini - travertines, blocks of stone
Triclinio - triclinium in Latin, a couch extending around three sides of a table used by the ancient Romans for reclining at meals, more commonly refers to a dining room in ancient Roman houses
V
Vasca - pool, fountain
Vestigie - ruins, literally 'vestiges'
Vicino - near, close by
Vigna - vineyard