What is a portico and why is it needed?

Answer the question, What is a portico is quite simple. It is an architectural element used by people since ancient Greece. If you think that you have never seen him, you are mistaken. Look at the modern Russian denomination worth 100 rubles, on the side where the building of the Bolshoi Theater is depicted. Pushed forward eight columns, crowned with a triangular roof on which the sculpture of Apollo is located on the quadriga of the work of Klodt, is a portico. But about where and when this architectural element appeared, which of the famous buildings it adorns, let's try to tell in this article.

What it is?

The word "portico" comes from the Latin porticus , which means "gallery". The portico in architecture is the protruding part of the structure, formed by such supporting elements, supporting the overlapping, like columns, arches or pilasters. Usually it is bounded from the inside by the wall of the building and is open from one or more external sides. Thus, this element consists of three main parts: columns, supported by an entablature and a gable crowning the whole structure. What does the portico look like? The photo below shows it well.

For the first time the portico was made by ancient Greek architects. They used it not only as an architectural element, but also as a stand-alone structure. From ancient Greece, the portico was borrowed and subsequently successfully used by builders in ancient Rome. It was from there that he spread throughout the world and had a great influence on many European cultures. About what a portico, and knew in medieval Europe, where he decorated the facades of churches and palaces. He was particularly popular in the European classicism of the XVIII-XIX centuries.

Why is it needed?

Architects use this element to solve various tasks:

• For registration of the central entrance to the building;
• As a composite link between the interior and the front door;
• As the final element of the central spatial axis of the palace and park ensemble.

Kinds

Talking about what a portico is, it is important to note a large number of its species. If you do not go into the architectural and construction subtleties, then the simplest classification is based on the number of columns used in this or that case.

Four-column, as the name implies, has four pillars. Widely used in ancient Greek and Roman architecture in the construction of temple and public buildings. The most famous four-column portico in architecture is the northern one in the White House in the USA.

The six-columned decorated facades of Doric buildings and religious buildings of Ancient Greece, such as the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounia or the Temple of Accord in Agrigenta. This type of portico was also used to decorate some temples in the Ionic style, for example the Erechtheion in the Athenian Acropolis. After the colonization of the southern regions of Italy, the Greeks adopted the Etruscans and the Romans. Today, one of the best-preserved examples of the Roman six-columned portico is the Maison Carre in French Nimes. And in St. Petersburg, at the pavilions of the Admiralty, overlooking the Neva embankment, you can see the classic Russian samples of these architectural elements.

Octastyle - this porticos, consisting of eight pillars. Used in classical Greek architecture, they are quite rare, but to this day preserved such buildings with these elements, such as the Roman Pantheon or the Athenian Parthenon. These types of porticoes include those that adorn the facade of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the Synod building in St. Petersburg.

Decastyle is, for example, the portico of the New Hermitage in St. Petersburg or the University College in London from ten pillars.

Portico City - Bologna

If in all other cities and countries the buildings adorned with this element need to be looked for, then in any Italian Bologna, what is a portico, any resident knows and will happily show you how to get to the city center. About 38 km of arcades are located only in the historical center, and the covered portico galleries pass through the whole city. Quite interesting is the history of their appearance. In medieval Bologna, the issue with production and trade areas was quite acute. Officials of that time came up with a rather witty way out: they decided to expand the useful area of buildings due to the removal of a part of the territory to the street. In addition, the similar location of various enterprises and industries in open areas attracted the attention of local residents and visitors. Initially, their vaults were supported by wooden beams, which were then replaced with marble and stone supports. Many of them have not only architectural, but also historical value.