PERTICA NOVA
TINE KURENT, LOJZE MUHIC 
U n iv e r za , L ju b lja n a
. . . da b i p o sn e li in r a z u m e li g ršk e sp o m e n ik e , jih je tr e b a m e r iti z g ršk im i 
č e v l ji (Viollet-le-Duc, D ic tio n n a ire ra iso n n e, VII, Symetrie)
Stare zgradbe običajno m erijo z merili, ki so- pač tak rat v rabi. Palladio 
je m eril rim ske spom enike z vičentinskim čevljem; nemška arheološka šola 
je poznala pruski čevelj; danes sta najbolj v rabi m eter in angleški (Impe­
rialni) m erski sistem, pa naj gre za m eritve grških, rimskih, egiptovskih ali 
pa kakih drugih spomenikov.
Ill TRIENTES I PES XVI DIGITI I PES XII UNCIAE
XII UNCIAE I PES II SEMES I PES IV PALMI
I GRADUS I GRADUS
I PASSUS
Sl. 1. Š tiri stran i nove pertike, M meri. 1 passus, so razdeljene (od zgoraj navzdol) na:
— 5 čevljev; V m eri 3 triente, ali 16 prstov; ali 12 palcev; 1 palec je 4 sicilike -dolg;
— 5 čevljev; 1' m eri 2 sem es, ali 4 dlani; dlan velja 4 prste, katerih vsak je 3 sicilike 
dolg;
— 2 gradusa; 1 gradus je za dva m ala kom olca; 1 m ali komolec m eri 5 dlani;
— 2 čevlja + 2 kom olca; 1 komolec m eri 6 dlani
Fig. 1. The four sides of pertica nova, w hich is 1 passus long, are subdivided in 
(from top to bottom ):
— 5 pedes; one pes equals 3 trien tes, or 16 digiti, or 12 unciae; one unicia being 
equal to 4 sicilici;
— 5 pedes; one pes equals 2 sem es, o r 4 palm i; a palm us is 4 dig iti, each of w hich 
is 3 sicilici;
— 2 gradus; one gradus m akes 2 palm ipedes; one palm ipes is 5 palm i;
— 2 pedes + 2 cubiti; one cubitus is equal to 6 palm i

SI. 2. Nova pertika je k ar 
prim erna za m erjenje 
rim skih kompozicij.
Na sliki m eri študent 
arhitekture m ozaični vzorec 
z novo pertiko 
na Jakopičevem v rtu 
v L jubljani
Fig. 2. Pertica nova is 
suitable for m easurem ent 
of Rom an compositions. 
The m easured mosaic 
p attern is p a rt of the insula 
of Emona, exhibited in 
Jakopičev v r t a t L jubljana
Toda m erjenje z današnjim i m erami ni zadovoljivo', ker zakriva kompozi­
cijo spomenika, zasnovanega v starih m erah. T u d i če b i s to k r a t p r e m e r ili 
P a n th e o n z n a ta n č n o stjo n e k a j m ilim e tr o v , le za k a j n a m bo ta z b ir k a m e r s k ih 
p o d a tk o v , če n e zn a m o iz n jih iz lu š č iti tv o r n e g a p rin c ip a p r o p o r c ij ? (D ic tio n - 
n a ire ra iso n n e, VIII, Symetrie)
Ker je moderna metrologija zanesljiva v določanju različnih m erskih si­
stemov, res ni ovire, razen v vztrajnosti, da ne bi m erili starih spomenikov 
s starim i merami.
Zdi se, da je predvsem rimsko obdobje poznalo standardizacijo v gradnji 
mest, zgradb, v oblikovanju gradbenih elementov, orožja in orodja, posod in 
drugih gospodinjskih predmetov, vozil in celo nakita. Da bi ga bolje razumeli, 
smo na Šoli za arhitekturo Ljubljanske univerze oblikovali m ersko palico, 
razdeljeno na različne rimske merske enote. Rimljani so za m erjenje uporab­
ljali 10 čevljev dolgo pertiko; naša nova pertika pa m eri le 5 čevljev.
Prednost m erjenja rimskih m onumentov z rim skimi m eram i je v razkri­
vanju m odularnega ritm a arhitektonskih m er in v razum evanju ponavljanja 
stalnih razmerij, kar tvori proporcije.

Pertica nova
■.. pour relever et com predre les m onum ents grecs, c’est avec le pied grec qu’il 
les faut mesurer. (Viollet-le-Duc, Dictionnaire raisonne, VIII, Sym etrie)
The m easurem ent of ancient buildings is usually done w ith the system of sizes 
contem porary to the m easurer. Palladio has m easured Roman buildings w ith piede 
vicentino; G erm an school of archaeologists (knew the P russian foot; m etre and 
Im perial system of sizes are used by m odem archaeologists, regardless if the mo­
num ent to be delineated is Greek, Rom an, Egyptian, or of any other period.
The m easurem ent w ith m odem sizes is n o t satisfying because it obscures the 
compositional conception of th e m onum ent in its contem porary sizes. M esurent cent 
fois le Pantheon avec des differences des quelques m illim etres ä quoi nous servira 
cette compilation des docum ents, si nous n’en savons pas deduire le principe gene- 
tateur des proportions? (D ictionnaire raisonne, VIII, Symetrie)
Since m odem m etrology is quite reliable in the relation of various systems, 
there is no obstacle, w ith th e exception of inertia, in using contem porary sizes for 
m easurem ent of old form s.
Especially th e Rom an period seems to have standardized th eir tow n-planning, 
building, building com ponents, weapons, tools, pottery and other household objects, 
vehicles, and even th e ir glyptic. To understand them better, a m easuring stick w ith 
subdivision in sm aller u n its of Rom an standard sizes has been devized a t the U ni­
versity of Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. For m easurem ent Rom ans used a 10 pedes long 
pertica; our pertica nova is only 5 pedes.
The advantage of m easuring Rom an m onum ents w ith standard Rom an sizes 
is in th e evidence of th e m odular rhythm in architectural dim ensions and in the 
understanding o f the repetition of constant ratios, form ing proportions.
B IB L IO G R A F IJA — B IB L IO G R A P H Y
F. Hultsch, Griechische und römische M etrologie (Berlin 1862).
H ygini G ram atici Liber de m unitionibus castrorum (ed. Gemoll, Bibi. Teubn., 
1879).
M. Detoni, T. K urent, The M odular Reconstruction of Emona (Situla 1 [in4°], 
L jubljana 1963).
T. K urent, The Basic Law of M odular Com position (The M odular Q uarterly, 
London 1963).
T. K urent, The M odular Composition of R om an W ater-w heels (Archaeom etry, 
vol. 10, Oxford 1967).
T. K urent, La legge fondam entale della composizione modulare (Edizione Qua­
dern! di studio, Politechnico di Torino, 1968).
T. K urent, The M odular Analogy of the R om an Palaces in Split and Fishbour- 
ne (Archaeom etry, vol. 12, Oxford 1970),
T. K urent, The M odular Eurythm ia of Aediculae in Šem peter (Catalogi et mo- 
nograjphiae 4, L jubljana 1970).
T. K urent, The M odular Composition of D iocletian Palace in Split (Živa A ntika 
20, 1970).
T. K urent, The Rom an Modular W ay (Official A rchitecture and Planning, 
London, December 1971).