Piece of a Trace: An Unpublished Drawing by Juan de Legarra 'Master Mason and Mayor Builder' of 17th Century Seville

Resumen

Architects are accustomed to the necessity of drawing as a trigger for the processes that develop architecture. However, we can assert that this has always been the case. Through the study of 17th Century architecture in the city of Seville and an unpublished drawing discovered from one of the alarifes (architects) who worked on it, Juan de Legarra, we aim to demonstrate that even in a context with limited dissemination of architectural treatises, from which representation would acquire a definitive fundamental role in the learning and dissemination of architecture, drawing was always necessary. Masters such as Legarra, who practiced architecture in this context, understood this concept and used it instinctively. We do not know how it was part of their education, but we do know that it was integral to their daily work.