Architectural Initials and Alphabets: Architectural Theory or Antiquarian Scholarly Culture?

Abstract

This article examines architectural initials and alphabets as an underdefined category within visual culture, proposing their interpretation not merely as ornamental or typographic elements but as visual constructs capable of conveying theoretical discourse tied to architectural and antiquarian scholarship. While their development spans from the Middle Ages to the early nineteenth century, the study highlights their particular prominence in the eighteenth century and adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining formal, iconographic, historical‑cultural, and material analysis. This framework reveals a coherent tradition rooted largely in the Italian intellectual context.

The case study focuses on Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s initials, interpreted as integral components of his intellectual project. Building on an existing tradition, Piranesi transforms the initial into a site where architecture, archaeology, and theory converge, turning the letter into an active medium of architectural thought.