Entretiens Genesis, Ideas, Influences

The recent, painstakingly made Spanish translation of Eugene Emmanuel Violletle-Duc's Entretiens sur l'architecture has brought to us an influential and controversial text of the second half of the 19th century. In this text, the author reflects on the rules of architecture in relation to art, technique, history, and the teaching of architecture. The article scans the genesis of the book, linking it to Viollet's biography and thinking, according to Sir John Summerson, one of the pillars of modern architecture.