Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Vitruvius Pollio, whose full name was Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, was a Roman architect and engineer who lived in the 1st century BC; his dates of birth and death are unknown, and available public information is limited. He is the author of The Ten Books on Architecture (De architectura), a systematic treatment of urban planning, building materials, temples and public buildings, and machinery, and the oldest surviving architectural treatise, whose influence has been profound. Other works associated with his name include Vitruvii De architectura libri decem and An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius, with three titles held in the collection. His clear, wide-ranging writing combines theory with practice, and since the Renaissance he has been regarded as the highest authority for architects.