Treatise on Architecture and Machinery by Juan de Herrera

Treatise on Architecture and Machines by Juan de Herrera

Autograph manuscript by Juan de Herrera, addressed to King Philip II, explaining the system of cranes and pulleys to be used in the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial. Among its pages is the only signed drawing by the Spanish architect that has survived. A magnificent treatise on both architecture and —in the modern sense— 16th-century engineering.

The manuscript, a fine facsimile of exquisite quality, which we present here is of interest for its scientific content and is significant for its historical and human value. Its scientific content demonstrates the practical application of Juan de Herrera’s mathematical knowledge, set out through a series of simple concepts that lead him to explain the principle of the crane, so that Philip II might easily understand it.

Its historical and human value is significant in two respects. Firstly, because Juan de Herrera wrote it personally and in careful handwriting for the king. Secondly, because the powerful monarch, always preoccupied with complex matters of state, held it in his royal hands when he received it and whilst reading it, before subsequently approving it with satisfaction.

King Philip II of Spain was a great patron of the arts, and the most famous and impressive work associated with him is the Royal Palace and Monastery of El Escorial, which is the largest Renaissance building in the world and was completed in 1584. Work on this gigantic complex began in 1563 under the direction of Juan Bautista de Toledo, but when he died four years later, the project passed into the hands of his disciple, Juan de Herrera. In order to make this and other construction projects more comprehensible to the king, the architect wrote a treatise following the tradition of the Roman author, architect and civil and military engineer Vitruvius, in which he explained various principles of structural and mechanical engineering, such as the use of pulleys. It was written sometime between 1567 and 1577, whilst the construction of El Escorial was still underway.

Autograph manuscript by Juan de Herrera, addressed to King Philip II

The Spanish architect Juan de Herrera, royal architect and advisor to Philip II, is known not only for his famous building project, the monastic and palatial complex of El Escorial, near Madrid, but also for his dedication to science and scholarship in the fields of mathematics, philosophy and others, as well as for writing further treatises. His Treatise on Architecture and Machines is a fine facsimile manuscript of exquisite quality, with the help of which the famous architect was able to teach his king the principles of how machines work.

The architect of King Philip II of Spain, on whose domains the sun never set

From 1563 onwards, King Philip II (1527–1598) commissioned the construction of El Escorial, a royal monastery dedicated to Saint Lawrence. Today, the palace and monastery of El Escorial ranks among the most important sites in Spain and impresses with its gigantic size and the austere simplicity of its Renaissance architecture. Juan de Herrera (c. 1530–1597) took charge of the construction project in 1563, replacing Juan Bautista de Toledo, and oversaw the works until their completion in 1584; his vision gave El Escorial its characteristic appearance.

An instructional text on the system of cranes and pulleys to be used in the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial

Juan de Herrera wrote a Treatise on Architecture and Machines with the aim of making the various construction projects more comprehensible to the king, who wholeheartedly supported the construction of the Monastery of San Lorenzo. Probably written between 1567 and 1577, in addition to the theoretical section, it contains seven pages of sketches accompanied by interesting scientific explanations. In this way, for example, it demonstrates the operation of pulleys as they would have been used in the construction of the royal monastic complex. Among them is the only signed drawing by the Spanish architect that has survived. Dedicated to the king, the treatise provides a descriptive explanation of the complex mechanical processes related to architecture. In this way, Juan de Herrera’s document follows in the tradition of Vitruvius, who also employed mechanics in his architectural teachings. Drawing on geography and natural philosophy, Herrera sought to make the fundamental principles of these marvellous machines comprehensible. The treatise is a magnificent treatise on both architecture and —in the modern sense— 16th-century engineering.

Juan de Herrera – Architect and scientist

Herrera’s treatise is preserved today in the General Archive of Simancas. The author’s importance, not only as a royal architect but also as an advisor to the king on all scientific and technical matters, has not been lost to the present day. However, his role as a scholar and scientist — he possessed a large library containing countless scientific treatises — cannot be underestimated, and the Treatise on Architecture and Machines is considered a striking example of this.