Beauty by Alberti

"Alberti Thought it prudent to build beautiful buildings, because beauty preserves things from assault. He asks, 'Can any Building be made so strong by all the Contrivance of Art, as to be safe from Vilolence and Force?' and he answers that it can, since 'Beauty will have such an effect even upon an enraged Enemy, that it will disarm his Anger, and prevent him from offering it any Injury: Insomuch that I will be hold to say, that there can be no greater Security to any Work against Violence and Injusty, that Beauty and Dignity.'" in Translations from Drawing to Building and Other Essays by Robin Evans