One of the three orders of classical architecture, catalogued and passed on by Vitruvius. The architectural order is a group of rules that characterises every building.
There are three main orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, to which the Composite order was later added. The architectural orders developed, according to precise stylistic canons, first in Greece and were then borrowed by the Romans.
The Doric and Ionic orders were used in constructions around the 6th century. The Corinthian order made its appearance in the 5th century, and was more refined and elegant with fluted columns and capitals, embellished with sculptures depicting curled acanthus leaves.
The Corinthian order is named after the city of Corinth, where this artistic trend was born.
