Le finestre terrene del palazzo Medici-Lante a Roma. Geometria e materia nel primo Cinquecento

During the first two decades of the sixteenth century, architects interpreted the window framing of Roman palaces in many ways. Given special importance, these elements rapidly became one of the most modern characters of new façades. A significant example of this aesthetic and cultural development is represented by the precious marble inginocchiate windows of Medici-Lante Palace assigned to Giuliano da Sangallo. Aiming to highlight the original construction phase of the palace, this paper will focus on the first four ground-level windows of the main façade, matching the available data with the direct analysis of the architecture. Moreover, by comparing other contemporary windows with ours, it’s possible to add new considerations, examining the original design, the unique combination of the materials, the regular proportions, and the clear references to antiquity. Finally, the Ionic volute of the window shelf supporting the windowsill has been subject to a specific study together with graphical analysis of the polycentric spiral.