Earlier Recovery of Vitrius's Architecture

Okay, in the 1st century BC, there was a famous architect, Vitruvius, who wrote about Architecture.

Okay. OTL it was discovered in 1414, and influenced renaissance architecture; it's after his work becomes common that we see a lot of neoclassical buildings.

So, the POD: The 4th Crusade. A venetian sailor takes the work from a monastery in Constantinople. He in turn takes it back to Venice, from which it spreads throughout Italy.

Now, we're entering the reign of Frederick II, who saw himself as God's appointed sovereign and heir. And we're also entering the era o a lot of medieval construction.

What does Medieval Classicism look like?

1200 would also be the time when Gothic architecture enthusiastically climaxes (ex. Cathedral of Bourges). Not only because of new construction methods giving new possibilities (buttresses etc), but the Gothic architecture also was a mirror of contemporary society. Where gothic architecture and medieval society saw abstract order coming from the geometrical realation between the parts of a building and with direct references to divinity the neoclassical view represented more organic order and proportion principles.

In this context I find it difficult to see neoclassical ideas spreading faster than the surrounding society is ready. Vitruvius will be read with interest by scollars (monks), but I doubt there will be builders and architects to do the contemporary interpretation that in reality was neoclassical architecture (guys like Albertini, Filarete, Serlio and of course Palladio). You could even fear any one trying would end up being blamed for herecy!

13th century N. Italy was much ahead of the rest of the world (double entry bookkeeping invented here ), so you should not entirely exclude the possibility of them being ready for neoclassicism, but I severely doubt it will spread further much earlier than in OTL. I OTL medieval/gothic architecture lived on side by side with neoclassical architecture, and the (IMO) main theoretical work of Gothic architechture only came in 1486 (Fialenbüchlein by Mathias Roriczer). I guess neoclassical architecture didn’t really become a best seller until late 18th/early 19th century.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

Neoclassical was probably a bad choice of words. I meant to refer to the Renaissance attempts to build in Classical style.

Don't see why they'd be considered heretics, though.

Well, Frederick II liked to play up his role as Emperor, so perhaps classical architecture with its "Imperial" overtones would be very appealing to him. Even in OTL there is evidence that Frederick II sponsored a few buildings - churches and palaces - which emphasized classical Roman-style features like rounded arches and Corinthian columns. On the other hand, this may have just been a variation on the "Romanesque" styles that preceded the Gothic, rather than anything directly inspired by Roman architecture.

The early 13th century was when the Gothic style was just beginning to expand out of France. If Frederick throws his patronage behind a true "neo-classical" style it could become a serious competitor to the Gothic in Frederick's domains. Perhaps architecture could even become an indicator of politics - lords, bishops, and towns that favor Frederick would build churches, palaces, and other buildings in the new Roman-derived "Imperial" style, while lords, bishops, and towns that were allied with the pope against Frederick would use either the old Romanesque or new Gothic styles as a visible symbol of their alliance with the papacy against the Emperor.