The Tuscan base shown in the plate consists of a square plinth 8/6 D wide and a thick torus set tangent to the edge of the plinth. Vitruvius states that the plinth of the Tuscan base should be circular in form and one may consider using such a plinth to emphasize the rustic nature of the order. A small fillet called the cincture is set in from the torus and is capped by a conge which gently transitions the fillet to the shaft which is one diameter wide. The total height of the base is ½ D.
The capital which is also ½ D tall is divided into three parts: the abacus, echinus, and neck. The square abacus extends out one sixth of diameter on each side to the upper diameter (5/6 D) excluding the top fillet. Below the abacus and set in slightly is an ovolo for the echinus. The word echinus derives from the Greek word for the sea urchin which the molding resembles. A small fillet and conge leads into the neck. Beneath the neck at the top of the shaft is the astragal which is 1/16 D wide and tall and employs a bead and fillet.
Situated directly in line with the upper diameter of the column, the entablature comprises the cornice which is ¾ D high and the frieze and architrave, each ½ D high. The cornice can be constructed by dividing it into 4 equal horizontal divisions and striking a 45 degree line to set up a projection of ¾ D. The crowning member, or cymatium, is a simple ovolo.
The bead, fillet, and conge which sit below the cymatium have the same proportions as the astragal where the bead is twice as tall as the fillet. A vertical fascia makes up most of the corona and a drip is used to separate the vertical plane and soffit below. The cyma reversa bed mold makes up the lower quarter division of the cornice. Both the bed mold and cymatium are aligned along the 45 degree line so they can be appear to be visually connected when viewed from below.
Vignola makes the frieze and architrave the same height and without ornamentation. However, because the horizontal band of the taenia falls within the architrave, the frieze is visually more important. Palladio highlights the frieze by rendering it in rustic stone in contrast to a smooth architrave.
Palladio’s version of the Tuscan entablature is more delicate in character than the Vignola model. The sketch indicates the graceful way that the underside of the soffit of the cornice is connected to the bed mold in a continuous sweep. Palladio also uses the cyma recta at the cymatium instead of the ovolo. A common modern version of the Tuscan entablature is also shown to demonstrate how easily this order has been adapted to wood construction.
Text: Martin Brandwein
Rendering: M. Gunnison Collins