The Proportions of the St. Gall Plan
Eric Fernie
The work most necessary to an understanding of the ninth-century plan at St. Gall Abbey is essay published by Walter Horn in Art Bulletin for 1966. This provides a masterly synopsis earlier views on subject, concise rejection less tenable theses such as Reinle's, and additional support Boeckelmann's contention that dimensions written onto are revisions preexisting design, which conceptual whole its own right.1 illustrates this unity, one hand terms organization monastery, calling attention punctilious care with numbers seats, beds, privies, stables have been arranged, so provisions made part establishment complemented another. Thus there six seats refectory visiting brothers beds their lodgings; about hundred ten monks all seating space east end church twelve.2 On other hand, underlines unity design establishing single small unit was used same privies. Taking dimensions—the 40-ft. width nave—he calculates 2½ ft.3 In gripping passage worthy best detective fiction, he describes lateral thinking involved perceiving relationship between these two figures. Instead reducing 40 ft. forty units equal value, like marks metric ruler, halves quarters dimension, producing 20, 10, 5, ft.4
Art Bulletin