“A small temple.” Isn’t that an intriguing name? The Tempietto Dorico Sculpture stands before us, a testament to the enduring allure of classical architecture. Though modest in size, its impact on Milan’s artistic landscape is undeniable.
The Tempietto Dorico Sculpture echoes the grandeur of ancient Greece. Its design draws inspiration from the Doric order. Doric architecture is the oldest of the Greek architectural orders. It emerged from the Peloponnese region. The Doric order spread across Greece starting in the seventh century BC. It also became popular in the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia.
Many surviving temples in Magna Graecia showcase this order. The Parthenon in Athens is another prominent example. Temples built in the Doric style possess unique features. The platform rests upon a foundation called the euthynteria. This is usually built from local stone of lesser quality. The main structure uses marble or high-quality stone. This stone often came from distant quarries.
Above the base lies a platform called the crepidoma. It consists of steps leading to the temple. Initially, there were three steps. Over time the number increased. The first two steps are the stereobate. The upper part is the stylobate. Columns stand directly on the stylobate without a base. This absence is a defining characteristic of the Doric style.
The column’s shaft tapers upward. It features shallow grooves numbering twenty to twenty-two. These grooves meet at sharp edges. They create an ascending visual effect. This accentuates the play of light and shadow. A slight swelling called entasis occurs one-third of the way up the column. This corrects the optical illusion of narrowing. Early Doric temple columns were wooden. Stone gradually replaced wood starting in the seventh century BC. Marble was sometimes used. The height is seven times the diameter of its base. The Doric shaft consists of stacked drums secured by a bronze pin. A collar joins the shaft to the capital.
The Doric capital includes the echinus. This is a rounded cushion shape. The abacus rests on the echinus. The abacus has a flattened rectangular form. Above the capital is the entablature. From bottom to top, it comprises a plain architrave. This consists of blocks joined at the column’s center. Above this lies the frieze. It divides into metopes and triglyphs. Metopes are square panels. They can be plain, sculpted, or painted. Triglyphs are rectangles with vertical grooves.
Between the architrave and frieze is a continuous strip called the tenia. Rectangular elements called regula attach to it. Four or six drops hang from the regula. These are cone-shaped decorative elements. They evoke water droplets dripping from early temples’ beams. Above the frieze is the cornice. It contains the tympanum. This is a triangular space for fronton decorations. The cornice includes a horizontal geison. It rests on the entablature. An inclined geison rests on the fronton. A sima supports it.
The building’s roof usually has flat terracotta tiles. Curved or triangular tiles cover the joints. These prevent the flat tiles from falling. Antefixes secure them. These are stone or terracotta elements. They are molded with anthropomorphic or floral motifs. Pedestals at the top of the fronton support decorative elements. These include polychrome terracotta statues. These statues depict mythological figures or animals.
Greek architects used visual refinements in the Doric order. These made their temples look harmonious. Columns are tapered. The diameter decreases from base to collar. This emphasizes the column’s static function. The entasis prevents the column from appearing unnaturally thin.
Vitruvius theorized that the Doric order transcribed a wooden structure into stone. The fluted column resembles a roughly hewn tree trunk. The collar imitates reinforcing metal bands. The entasis reflects the compression of wooden stems. The plain architrave is a squared wooden beam. Guttae represent nails. Triglyphs symbolize the ends of beams. Metopes are infill between the beam ends. This lithification occurred between the seventh and sixth centuries BC. The marble frieze masked the wooden roof structure.
Eighteenth-century figures like Marc-Antoine Laugier revived this wooden origin model. It became a founding myth of Neoclassicism. The Tempietto Dorico Sculpture stands as a Neoclassical reminder of these ancient principles. Its presence enhances Milan’s rich architectural heritage. It also provides a tangible link to the classical world.