The book: «Trattato di Teofilo Gallaccini sopra gli errori degli architetti» by Teofilo Gallaccini is a critical piece and tries to expose errors in contemporary architecture, so I used this knowledge to start a conversation with alice about other critical writings and she recommended “Bernini’s Biographies: Critical Essays” by Maarten Delbeke, Evonne Anita Levy, Steven F. Ostrow were a multitude of more modern essays critiquing various topics in and around architecture can be found.
It also found a connection to “History of Architectural Theory“
by Hanno-Walter Kruft who cited Teofilo Gallaccinis «Trattato di Teofilo Gallaccini sopra gli errori degli architetti» directly:
“Since Palladio and Scamozzi the criticism of abuses (abusi) in architecture had become a regular part of treatises. In 1625 the Sienese mathematician and doctor Teofila Gallaccini (1564-1641) completed a Trattato sopra gli errori degli architetti, which did not however appear in print until 1767.’09 This treatise, reminiscent of Scamozzi in its rationalism, is directed, without naming names, against architectural Mannerism and the Early Baroque, but beyond this contains certain insights that ensure a place for Gallaccini in the history of architectural theory. He distinguishes pragmatically between errors which may be committed before, during and after building. For him architecture is ‘imitator of the works of Nature’.” ° Crucial errors may be made before building, in the choice of site and materials, and in design.”
This was particularly interesting for me because it helped place the book, I had been having trouble understanding in the broader context of architectural theory and revealed its significance to me. It seems to me, that the criticism brought forward by Teofilo Gallaccini in the 15th century still has relevance to this day. This is quite astonishing, architecture as a science seems to be able to solve his criticisms, but in the real world the same mistakes continue to be made in perpetuity.