In ancient times, geometry was considered a sacred art. In ancient Egypt they already demonstrated a truly elevated knowledge of an entire numerical system to describe the relationship between Earth and the universe, deducing that only a superior intelligence could be the author of its creation. This gave rise to a series of beliefs and monotheistic religions that regarded God as the Great Geometer of the Universe. Therefore, through architecture, man has sought to elevate himself and draw nearer to his creator, building temples that attempt to reproduce an image of this universe, such as cathedrals, where everything from the earth and the sun to animals, plants, crafts, and human wisdom, natural history, and the sacred are represented. These buildings were true visual encyclopedias, very different from some current constructions that reflect a very personal vision of the architect. All this building system is nothing more than an attempt to explain the invisible through the visible. Construction began with the orientation of the temple by a method described by Vitruvius, where a stake was placed at the center of a circle and the maximum separation of the morning and afternoon shadows marked the east-west axis. Two circles centered on the cardinal points marked the intersection of the angles of the square, calling this operation the squaring of the circle, and from this the building was projected. These two figures, the square and the circle, are the primordial symbols of divine perfection, due to the relationship of the circle with the sphere in which all points are equidistant, representing the unity and perfection of God. The square with the cube is the image of immutability, of creation in the three-dimensional space. This relation between the sphere and the cube is the foundation on which temples are built. If we move from the horizontal plane to the vertical, i.e., from flat geometry to space geometry, we will see that the entire building is reduced to the scheme of the sphere or hemisphere in the dome, and the cubes forming the cross ultimately give the building its shape; if we draw a vertical line from the central cube to the dome, we have the passage from the earthly (the cube) to the celestial (the hemisphere). This internal dynamism of the temple serves as the basis for the elevation of consciousness. Plato, in the Timeaus dialogue and referring to the Pythagorean school, already spoke of the relation of God with geometry, mathematics, and music, as the Great Architect of the Universe. Augustine, in his treatise on music, expounds the theory that music and architecture are sisters, daughters of number and eternal harmony; medieval builders already knew the analogy between architectural proportions and musical intervals, they used the number called the golden ratio 1.618 = Phi, also known as the divine or golden proportion, which is a constant in all created beings.
HOLY GEOMETRY
RVM