Books by Noé Badillo
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest, and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini's treatise on architecture connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica), and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant expression of these principles in built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, connecting the church to the cosmos. The complex system of catenaries that form the structure of the dome, represents an ancient model of the celestial sphere from the time of Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). While a previous theory by the Italian scholar Marcello Fagiolo established a geocentric theory of Guarini's cosmology, Badillo states that Guarini believed in heliocentrism in the face of the Roman Inquisition prior to the dawn of the Enlightenment. Geometry of the Sun, based on the author's doctoral dissertation, demonstrates that Guarini believed that the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically, and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
Published Articles by Noé Badillo
Platonism and its Heritage, Selected Papers from the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, 2023
The following essay is a continuation of the author’s ongoing inquiry into the philosophy of ligh... more The following essay is a continuation of the author’s ongoing inquiry into the philosophy of light within the Neoplatonic tradition of Humanism during the Renaissance. The author’s previous article, “Quid sit differentia: Architecture and the Externalized Metaphysical Composition in Guarino Guarini’s Placita philosophica,” begins with a rather finite aspect of a disputation within Book One of the Guarini’s seminal treatise, in which light is the primary element, which is obstructed by the presence of shadow. Guarini states that this mysterious interaction between light and shadow is the etiology of dimensional form, and can therefore be applied to architectural design. A distinctly different philosophy of light and shadow is presented in Giordano Bruno’s De umbris idearum, in which shadow is the first and primary element. This essay presents an analysis of Bruno’s strangely antithetical position on this matter involving the precedence of shadow, and how it also represents ideas concerning the corporeality of light, the metaphysics of light according to Platonic doctrine, and Bruno’s relationship to humanism within the triginta intentiones umbrarum.
Bruno’s theory of shadow is first exemplified through the utilization of the first, as well as the second book of Ecclesiastes, also known as the Canticum canticorum. His theological interpretation of these two texts, delineates the parabolic nature of shadow, light, and vision, in a manner that expresses the ontology of wisdom. Shadow represents ἀρχή, the etiological source and causation of light itself, which emerges and emanates from it. The idea of universal vanity is a concept which represents something of a mirror held before our minds, and is related to εἶδος within the structure of imagistic or reflective consciousness. In contrast, light as a form of wisdom is represented in these texts, in a manner that reveals nature of light beyond image reflection.
Shadow is corporeal, contains mass, and has a physical effect on movement involving the Platonic principle of form and the conversion of matter, while light serves as a vestigial, diaphanous, and subtle participant. Bruno clearly distinguishes the element of shadow (umbra) from darkness (tenebrae) as well, as a separate element that does not participate in the perception of form or its movement. The functionality of Aristotelian metaphysics relates beautifully to the allegory of shadow presented in Ecclesiastes, in which the passing shadow before the sun allows us to apprehend the image of God without the mirror of vanity. The second biblical reference made in the De umbris idearum, is to the mythological sea creature Leviathan, which Bruno metaphysically interprets as a manner in which the diaphanous nature of light, is able to become corporeal and have ontological weight. This is explained further in the text through a reference to Platonic metaphysics, in which Bruno describes how shadow is the source and causation of the emanation of light as a corporeal substance.
Bruno’s theory of light metaphysics, appears to represent a completely different understanding of biblical theology, in a way that is a total inversion of cosmological origin, of nature, of time, of physicality, and of systematic logic, inviting us as initiates into the origins of Humanism at its very core. Bruno’s rebellion against these ties that bind us, are seemingly intended to deconstruct the objectivity and objectification of the externalized conception of the world, which exists in every waking moment in what lies before us.
The Cultural Role of Architecture: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives, 2012
The architectonic relationship between language and structure is an aphoristic concept; one in wh... more The architectonic relationship between language and structure is an aphoristic concept; one in which grammar and vocabulary act as descriptive elements through which an edifice is interpreted. In understanding the nature of the ecclesium, the language of architecture becomes philogenetically rooted in religious scripture. The theological foundations of Sant'Ivo all Sapienza point to a transpositional element that exists between the linguistic structure of scripture and the construction of architectural spaces. Consequently, Francesco Borromini's method of architectonic expression embodies arcane mystical concepts. The interpenetration of such ideas with the church as aedificium is found in the relationship between Borromini's knowledge of craft and design, and the esoteric theories of the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. The hexagrammatic geometry of Sant'Ivo's central design makes theological reference to the Seal of Solomon, while other features make reference to Solomon's Temple, The First Temple of Jerusalem. Within the book of Kings, there is a specific passage that becomes a clue into the symbolic connection of the two architectural structures, brought forth through a kabbalistic interpretations of the Hebrew language known as Gematria. Through an understanding of Gematria, the language of scripture is thought of as something beyond a method of description; it becomes a cosmological framework by which the Solomonic meaning of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza is interpreted.
Zaytoon, 2012
The intention of this paper is to trace a philosophical correlation between the geometry of muqar... more The intention of this paper is to trace a philosophical correlation between the geometry of muqarnas domes and optical theories present during the Abbasid period. The epistemological origin of the muqarnas dome will be explored through the correlation between geometry and optics in the ninth, tenth and eleventh-century theories of Abu Yusuf al-Kindi and Ibn al-Haytham. I will trace a coincidence between the study of light in the Islamic world and the muqarnas dome as an artifice through which these optical ideas are realized and embodied. This embodiment is presented in three forms: As a model of the Islamic conception of the universe found in the synthetic study of tarkib, as well as the interpretation of muqarnas through the dynamics of atomism; as an optical/geometrical model based on its hyperbolic shape, which is self-referential to the anatomical structure of the eye; and through a profound interest in sidereal light brought about by aligning the muqarnas dome to the stars through cartography and mathematical astronomy. This remarkable and complex feature of Islamic architecture is presented as a reification of the theories of al-Kindī and al-Haytham, in a manner which creates a coincidence between architecture and cosmos as a vessel of light.
Architecture and Culture, 2014
Three works pertaining to language and geometry are presented in this article accompanied by exte... more Three works pertaining to language and geometry are presented in this article accompanied by extended descriptions dealing with structural linguistics and the relationship between language, perception and architecture. The author proposes a perceptual interface between phonological and morphological structures in the creation of visual information upon the surface of the retina, suggesting a new way to think about the relationship between language and architecture. Language forms an adherence to the architect within the metaphysical context and within the intricacies of structural linguistics, in which syntax, syllable, phrase and morphemic structure form a parallel understanding of the creativity of language in the creation of architecture.
Bishop Robert Grosseteste and Lincoln Cathedral: Tracing Medieval Concepts of Order and Built Form, 2014
The propagation of light into our field of perception is elegantly inscribed by the parameters an... more The propagation of light into our field of perception is elegantly inscribed by the parameters and delineations of geometry. Light, existent within this perceptual field is defined by way of its temporal projection, and placed within limits confined by its geometrically inscribed behavior. This limited inscription leaves us with an unknown question concerning the purely phenomenological presence of light, light as an illumination of the soul, and of the presence of being. Ultimately, the presence of light must lead us beyond the confines of geometry and into the realm of pure sense, and to phenomenology as a way of creating what Edmund Husserl calls the “science of pure phenomena.” However as phenomenology is a science based on the pure perception of αἰσθήσεως (aisthesis), of that which is purely sensate, a paradox exists between the sensible, and the ineffable quality of light as something which is immaterial and entirely beyond the tactile senses. Thus, we experience an epistemological rift between the quantification of light through geometry and the perception of pure phenomena. This paper attempts to answer a fundamental question posited by Bishop Robert Grosseteste pertaining to his idea of lux spiritualis or “originary light,” about the nature of light beyond the horizon of our perceptual field, and how this apparent rift may lead to a paradigmatic realization.
Thesis Chapters by Noé Badillo
BA Honors Thesis, 2009
This paper focuses on Francesco Borromini's church Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, and the relation betwe... more This paper focuses on Francesco Borromini's church Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, and the relation between Solomonic symbolism and Hebrew linguistics to the structure of the church. Kabbalistic influence during the Renaissance is explored, as well as Borromini's intellectual involvement with the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. The Solomonic influence present within Borromini’s church is examined through the comparison of architectural features within Sant'Ivo, to the descriptions of the First Temple of Jerusalem described within the book of Kings. Within the book of Kings, there is a specific passage that becomes a clue into an arcane interpretation of Hebrew scripture known as Gematria. Through Gematria, the language of this scripture is thought of as something beyond a method of description; it becomes a cosmological framework by which to interpret the Solomonic meaning of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza.
Geometry of the Sun: Guarino Guarini and the Church of San Lorenzo, 2021
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini presents three principles in his treatise on architecture, which connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica) and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant example of these principles created as built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, aligning the church to God and to the cosmos. The vertical alignment of the dome represents the celestial pole, a cosmological center point that is also known as the axis mundi. The interlocked system of stone arcs that comprise the structure of the dome, represents the rings of an ancient model of the celestial sphere known as an armillary that dates as far back as Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). The following dissertation creates an unprecedented connection between Guarini’s knowledge as an architect, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, to the Church of San Lorenzo. While a previous theory on Guarini by Marcello Fagiolo briefly established the possibility of a system unifying Guarini’s architecture and academic knowledge, I greatly expand this possibility and argue that Guarini is a heliocentric astronomer, not a geocentrist. San Lorenzo was built at the end of the Baroque period and at the beginning of the Enlightenment, representing the bridge between the classical past and the dawn of the age of modern science. By demonstrating that Guarini believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
Geometry of the Sun: Guarino Guarini and the Church of San Lorenzo, 2021
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini presents three principles in his treatise on architecture, which connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica) and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant example of these principles created as built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, aligning the church to God and to the cosmos. The vertical alignment of the dome represents the celestial pole, a cosmological center point that is also known as the axis mundi. The interlocked system of stone arcs that comprise the structure of the dome, repre-sents the rings of an ancient model of the celestial sphere known as an armillary that dates as far back as Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). The following dissertation creates an unprece-dented connection between Guarini’s knowledge as an architect, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, to the Church of San Lorenzo. While a previous theory on Guarini by Marcello Fagiolo briefly established the possibility of a system unifying Guarini’s architec-ture and academic knowledge, I greatly expand this possibility and argue that Guarini is a heliocentric astronomer, not a geocentrist. San Lorenzo was built at the end of the Baroque period and at the beginning of the Enlightenment, representing the bridge between the clas-sical past and the dawn of the age of modern science. By demonstrating that Guarini
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
Geometry of the Sun: Guarino Guarini and the Church of San Lorenzo, 2021
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini presents three principles in his treatise on architecture, which connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica) and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant example of these principles created as built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, aligning the church to God and to the cosmos. The vertical alignment of the dome represents the celestial pole, a cosmological center point that is also known as the axis mundi. The interlocked system of stone arcs that comprise the structure of the dome, repre-sents the rings of an ancient model of the celestial sphere known as an armillary that dates as far back as Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). The following dissertation creates an unprece-dented connection between Guarini’s knowledge as an architect, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, to the Church of San Lorenzo. While a previous theory on Guarini by Marcello Fagiolo briefly established the possibility of a system unifying Guarini’s architec-ture and academic knowledge, I greatly expand this possibility and argue that Guarini is a heliocentric astronomer, not a geocentrist. San Lorenzo was built at the end of the Baroque period and at the beginning of the Enlightenment, representing the bridge between the clas-sical past and the dawn of the age of modern science. By demonstrating that Guarini
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
Geometry of the Sun: Guarino Guarini and the Church of San Lorenzo, 2021
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini presents three principles in his treatise on architecture, which connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica) and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant example of these principles created as built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, aligning the church to God and to the cosmos. The vertical alignment of the dome represents the celestial pole, a cosmological center point that is also known as the axis mundi. The interlocked system of stone arcs that comprise the structure of the dome, repre-sents the rings of an ancient model of the celestial sphere known as an armillary that dates as far back as Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). The following dissertation creates an unprece-dented connection between Guarini’s knowledge as an architect, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, to the Church of San Lorenzo. While a previous theory on Guarini by Marcello Fagiolo briefly established the possibility of a system unifying Guarini’s architec-ture and academic knowledge, I greatly expand this possibility and argue that Guarini is a heliocentric astronomer, not a geocentrist. San Lorenzo was built at the end of the Baroque period and at the beginning of the Enlightenment, representing the bridge between the clas-sical past and the dawn of the age of modern science. By demonstrating that Guarini
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
Geometry of the Sun: Guarino Guarini and the Church of San Lorenzo, 2021
The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient struct... more The desire to orient human civilization within the universe is evident in the most ancient structures of the world, including Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and the Pantheon. The baroque architect, priest and polymath, Guarino Guarini (1624–1683), designed seventeen architectural works and wrote ten treatises on a multitude of subjects, including architecture, mathematics and astronomy. Guarini presents three principles in his treatise on architecture, which connects the art of building (edificare) to the sun (orologia, gnomonica) and to solar mechanics (macchinaria). The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin (1668–1687) is an elegant example of these principles created as built form, with a dome resembling the celestial sphere, aligning the church to God and to the cosmos. The vertical alignment of the dome represents the celestial pole, a cosmological center point that is also known as the axis mundi. The interlocked system of stone arcs that comprise the structure of the dome, repre-sents the rings of an ancient model of the celestial sphere known as an armillary that dates as far back as Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). The following dissertation creates an unprece-dented connection between Guarini’s knowledge as an architect, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, to the Church of San Lorenzo. While a previous theory on Guarini by Marcello Fagiolo briefly established the possibility of a system unifying Guarini’s architec-ture and academic knowledge, I greatly expand this possibility and argue that Guarini is a heliocentric astronomer, not a geocentrist. San Lorenzo was built at the end of the Baroque period and at the beginning of the Enlightenment, representing the bridge between the clas-sical past and the dawn of the age of modern science. By demonstrating that Guarini
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
OCULARIUM LUCIS: LIGHT AND OPTICAL THEORY IN GUARINO GUARINI'S CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO, 2012
Ocularium Lucis: Light and Optical Theory in Guarino Guarini’ s Church of San Lorenzo
is intended... more Ocularium Lucis: Light and Optical Theory in Guarino Guarini’ s Church of San Lorenzo
is intended to provide theoretical advancement in the understanding of the work of the Baroque architect Guarino Guarini by employing his Church of San Lorenzo as an example. In Part One an historical account of Guarini’s life and work is presented. In Part Two, Guarini’s methods as an architect are analyzed according to their intersection with the philosophy of science, geometry and astronomy, presented within his many treatises on such subjects. A syllogistic correlation is demonstrated in Guarini’s writings between the study of optics, geometry and architecture, which reveals that the architectonic forms which he creates are configured according to a profound interest in light and opticality. In this manner, Guarini’s Church of San Lorenzo is understood as an instrument of light and a vessel of divine illumination.
Unpublished Papers by Noé Badillo
The Role and Practice of Artists in Society, 2011
Papers by Noé Badillo
Architecture and Culture, Jul 1, 2014
ABSTRACT Three artworks pertaining to language and geometry are presented in this article accompa... more ABSTRACT Three artworks pertaining to language and geometry are presented in this article accompanied by extended descriptions dealing with structural linguistics and the relationship between language, perception and architecture. The author proposes a perceptual interface between phonological and morphological structures in the creation of visual information upon the surface of the retina, suggesting a new way to think about the relationship between language and architecture. Language forms an adherence to the architecton within the metaphysical context and within the intricacies of structural linguistics, in which syntax, syllable, phrase and morphemic structure form a parallel understanding of the creativity of language in the creation of architecture.
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Books by Noé Badillo
Published Articles by Noé Badillo
Bruno’s theory of shadow is first exemplified through the utilization of the first, as well as the second book of Ecclesiastes, also known as the Canticum canticorum. His theological interpretation of these two texts, delineates the parabolic nature of shadow, light, and vision, in a manner that expresses the ontology of wisdom. Shadow represents ἀρχή, the etiological source and causation of light itself, which emerges and emanates from it. The idea of universal vanity is a concept which represents something of a mirror held before our minds, and is related to εἶδος within the structure of imagistic or reflective consciousness. In contrast, light as a form of wisdom is represented in these texts, in a manner that reveals nature of light beyond image reflection.
Shadow is corporeal, contains mass, and has a physical effect on movement involving the Platonic principle of form and the conversion of matter, while light serves as a vestigial, diaphanous, and subtle participant. Bruno clearly distinguishes the element of shadow (umbra) from darkness (tenebrae) as well, as a separate element that does not participate in the perception of form or its movement. The functionality of Aristotelian metaphysics relates beautifully to the allegory of shadow presented in Ecclesiastes, in which the passing shadow before the sun allows us to apprehend the image of God without the mirror of vanity. The second biblical reference made in the De umbris idearum, is to the mythological sea creature Leviathan, which Bruno metaphysically interprets as a manner in which the diaphanous nature of light, is able to become corporeal and have ontological weight. This is explained further in the text through a reference to Platonic metaphysics, in which Bruno describes how shadow is the source and causation of the emanation of light as a corporeal substance.
Bruno’s theory of light metaphysics, appears to represent a completely different understanding of biblical theology, in a way that is a total inversion of cosmological origin, of nature, of time, of physicality, and of systematic logic, inviting us as initiates into the origins of Humanism at its very core. Bruno’s rebellion against these ties that bind us, are seemingly intended to deconstruct the objectivity and objectification of the externalized conception of the world, which exists in every waking moment in what lies before us.
Thesis Chapters by Noé Badillo
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
is intended to provide theoretical advancement in the understanding of the work of the Baroque architect Guarino Guarini by employing his Church of San Lorenzo as an example. In Part One an historical account of Guarini’s life and work is presented. In Part Two, Guarini’s methods as an architect are analyzed according to their intersection with the philosophy of science, geometry and astronomy, presented within his many treatises on such subjects. A syllogistic correlation is demonstrated in Guarini’s writings between the study of optics, geometry and architecture, which reveals that the architectonic forms which he creates are configured according to a profound interest in light and opticality. In this manner, Guarini’s Church of San Lorenzo is understood as an instrument of light and a vessel of divine illumination.
Unpublished Papers by Noé Badillo
Papers by Noé Badillo
Bruno’s theory of shadow is first exemplified through the utilization of the first, as well as the second book of Ecclesiastes, also known as the Canticum canticorum. His theological interpretation of these two texts, delineates the parabolic nature of shadow, light, and vision, in a manner that expresses the ontology of wisdom. Shadow represents ἀρχή, the etiological source and causation of light itself, which emerges and emanates from it. The idea of universal vanity is a concept which represents something of a mirror held before our minds, and is related to εἶδος within the structure of imagistic or reflective consciousness. In contrast, light as a form of wisdom is represented in these texts, in a manner that reveals nature of light beyond image reflection.
Shadow is corporeal, contains mass, and has a physical effect on movement involving the Platonic principle of form and the conversion of matter, while light serves as a vestigial, diaphanous, and subtle participant. Bruno clearly distinguishes the element of shadow (umbra) from darkness (tenebrae) as well, as a separate element that does not participate in the perception of form or its movement. The functionality of Aristotelian metaphysics relates beautifully to the allegory of shadow presented in Ecclesiastes, in which the passing shadow before the sun allows us to apprehend the image of God without the mirror of vanity. The second biblical reference made in the De umbris idearum, is to the mythological sea creature Leviathan, which Bruno metaphysically interprets as a manner in which the diaphanous nature of light, is able to become corporeal and have ontological weight. This is explained further in the text through a reference to Platonic metaphysics, in which Bruno describes how shadow is the source and causation of the emanation of light as a corporeal substance.
Bruno’s theory of light metaphysics, appears to represent a completely different understanding of biblical theology, in a way that is a total inversion of cosmological origin, of nature, of time, of physicality, and of systematic logic, inviting us as initiates into the origins of Humanism at its very core. Bruno’s rebellion against these ties that bind us, are seemingly intended to deconstruct the objectivity and objectification of the externalized conception of the world, which exists in every waking moment in what lies before us.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
believed in a sun-centered solar system, I will argue that for Guarini, the light of the sun was architecturally, theologically and cosmologically of the utmost importance.
is intended to provide theoretical advancement in the understanding of the work of the Baroque architect Guarino Guarini by employing his Church of San Lorenzo as an example. In Part One an historical account of Guarini’s life and work is presented. In Part Two, Guarini’s methods as an architect are analyzed according to their intersection with the philosophy of science, geometry and astronomy, presented within his many treatises on such subjects. A syllogistic correlation is demonstrated in Guarini’s writings between the study of optics, geometry and architecture, which reveals that the architectonic forms which he creates are configured according to a profound interest in light and opticality. In this manner, Guarini’s Church of San Lorenzo is understood as an instrument of light and a vessel of divine illumination.