Classical Architectural Theory in New Spain and Architectural Treatises as Colonialist Artefacts

Abstract

This article discusses the introduction of classical architectural theory to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, arguing
that Renaissance architectural treatises functioned as colonialist artefacts – in other words, that they were tools
not only for disseminating architectural classicism, but also an entire theoretical corpus on the construction of
the city, understood as the locus of Spanish civilization, as well as the decorum with which the most important
colonial institutions, both civil and religious, were to be built.