Calculating the tiles in all four faces, with mechanical sketches
Counting square tiles per course and per face to a total of 808,000 over four faces
The upper leaf is filled with rapid sketches of mechanical devices — geared wheels, levers, screws and linkages — while a corner of the lower, blue leaf carries a column of arithmetic. The calculation counts square tiles or bricks (quadrelli): so many per hole and per course, then per face, multiplied over all four faces of a structure to a total of 808,000. The many mechanical sketches themselves are not covered by the transcription.
On this page
Counting the tiles course by course and face by face
A column of figures reckons the number of square tiles (quadrelli): a count per hole and per course, then per face, and finally multiplied by four for all four faces, reaching a total of 808,000. It is a running masonry tally rather than a proof.
Rapid sketches of geared devices and linkages
The upper leaf is covered with quick studies of mechanisms — wheels, gears, levers, screws and jointed linkages. These drawings are not part of the transcription.