As a first step, I went to reread my text of task 2 (Argument) and made a list of the words that recurred most often, such as: “cinque ordini”, “proporzioni”, “Michel Sanmicheli”, “colonne”, “disegni”,…
I set as topic of conversation: architecture, and as Alice’s brain: Xenotheka Library. As first word I typed the first part of the full title of my book: Li cinque ordini dell’architettura civile di Michel Sanmicheli. I immediately realized that it was too long to receive a precise and punctual answer from Alice.
I therefore searched for “cinque ordini” and pressed find. I found about 50 results. I wondered if my search would be different if I typed the same word but in English. So I typed in “five orders”. I was very surprised to see that the results increased so much: from 50 to almost 500.
I was also very surprised to find the same books as the first results in both languages. So I chose the two books that I found in both searches: Elements of Architecture by Koolhaas and Eighteenth Century Architecture by Van Eck.
The first book, written by architect Rem Koolhaas, is a theoretical handbook that analyzes various architectural structural details such as facades, windows, doors, balconies, floors,…
Reviewing it I found many points in common with my book: both are theoretical manuals that explain and illustrate architectural details (in my book the columns). Both books are full of very detailed and accurate drawings and illustrations.
Van Eck’s second book presents the development of architecture in the period from 1680 to 1820. In the book the 18th century is described as a period characterized by an opening of historical and geographical horizons, but also at the architectural level. It is precisely in this century that Alessandro Pompei writes Li cinque ordini dell’architettura civile di Michel Sanmicheli, but he does not describe the innovation described in van Eck’s book, but rather describes architectural elements of the classical period, referring to great architectural theorists of past centuries.
I then also wanted to research the name of the writer of my work: Alessandro Pompei. I was very surprised to find only one book in the Xenotheka Library where he was mentioned, and zero in the Architecture Library and in the Alberti and Vitruvius library.
I then continued my search by entering other words such as: “Michel Sanmicheli” (mentioned in the title of the work) and “column proportions”. With the first search unfortunately I found nothing, while with the second I found A History of Architectural Theory by Kruft, a complete encyclopedia of architectural theory from Vitruvius to the present day, a book that seems very important and interesting for my studies and that I will definitely go to the library to find!