Theory and Practice in Sixteenth-Century Stonecutting. The ‘Bóveda de Murcia’ in the Manuscript of Alonso de Vandelvira

Resumen

The chapel of Junterón in Murcia cathedral is covered with a horizontal-axis annular vault. Its design is attributed to Jacopo Torni, a Florentine artist. The complex shape of the vault and its voussoirs justified its inclusion as an archetype in the sixteenth-century stonecutting manuscript of Alonso de Vandelvira.

The article analyses Vandelvira's proposed method of execution, showing that, applying gemetrical concepts rigourously, his procedure is innacurate. It explains that Vandelvira transfers to this constructive type procedures that are appropriate for other cases. The authors propose a similar geometrical approach to the dressing procedure, correcting the shortcomings of Vandelvira, to get a correct shape for each of the voussoirs. This strategy has been implemented and tested in practice with the help of the Compagnons du Devoir association. The limits of the relevance of obtaining a precise form are discussed here.

The article will analyse two simplified carving strategies that may have been used in the Junterón vault. First, the non-rigorous execution of Vandelvira's instructions, relying on the thickness of the joints and the abundance of decoration. Second, the use of forms like those used in the Italian mazzocchi, that is, rings used as a head garment, a subject for perspective exercises.