Architectural treatises and the East Adriatic Coast: cultural transfers and the circulation of knowledge in the Renaissance

Architectural treatises written in the 15th and 16th century are the most structured expressions of the built environment of the period, establishing norms and influencing building practice across Europe. Especially after the invention of printing, these books brought about the diffusion of knowledge of classical antiquity and architectural principles and put into circulation images and accounts of a certain number of ancient and modern buildings. This chapter traces the references to the regions of the Eastern Adriatic, especially to Istria and Dalmatia in architectural treatises, in order to shed light on the cultural encounters and exchanges between the areas geographically adjacent to the principal centres of the Italian peninsula seen through Italian and French eyes.