Vincenzo Scamozzi was an architect who lived in Venice during the latter half of the 16th century. He was instrumental in resurrecting the classical architectural orders and wrote extensively about them. He was also responsible for a redesign of the Corinthian order that lives on today in the contemporary columns that are used in both commercial structures and home design. His particular contribution to architectural history is the Scamozzi capital.

The Scamozzi capital is a modification of the Corinthian and Ionic capitals that transformed its appearance and aesthetic effect. Both the Ionic and the Corinthian capitals featured four scrolls, or “volutes,” which carved opposite one another at the ends of two sides of the capital’s square top. The scrolls “turned” along the same plane, appearing to be wrapped in opposite directions. The scrolls on one side of the square were mirror images of the scrolls on the opposite side. The Scamozzi capital changes the look and function of these volutes.

The Scamozzi capital realigns each scroll forty five degrees so that it faced out from the corner on which it was positioned. He placed them directly under the capital’s top surface, so that they appeared to be supporting the surface. The square developed concave sides that curved inward from one corner than outward to the next. Along with the realigned scrolls and curves to the edges of the top, the Scamozzi capital incorporated some of the classical elements of the Corinthian capital. Acanthus leaves and rosettes also adorned the Scamozzi capital.