How did we plan this project?
Using the John Marshall Scholar's grant from Franklin & Marshall College, we had the unique opportunity to visit
Spain and Italy in May 1999 to compare the mathematical aspects of Spanish and Italian architecture.
The idea for this project began in 1996 when we were enrolled in a Mathematics and Art seminar.
This class introduced the idea of symmetry and patterns in nature, art, and architecture.
How do Spanish and Italian architecture differ?
The goal of this project was to collect evidence and examples of architecture influenced by
mathematics. To accomplish this, we traveled to 12 cities in Spain and Italy and photographed
monuments with mathematical features. Spanish architecture has been heavily influenced by
mathematics from other cultures. Between the 8th and 15th centuries, the Moorish influence
brought tessellations, friezes, and mosaics to Spain. On the other hand, Italian architects
based their designs on "perfect" proportions, those most pleasing to the human eye. Influenced
by Greek designs, Italian architecture is primarily based on proportions and geometry. We found
that Italian architecture tends to lack frieze patterns and wallpatterns, but is abundant in
finite figures.
How can we share this research with others?
In addition to presenting our research at mathematical conferences, we have prepared a digital CD
of the most important photographs from the trip. These images will be available to the
mathematics professors at Franklin & Marshall College for future math courses. We also created
this web page with photographs and text to illustrate the mathematical differences in
architecture between Spain and Italy.