The uppermost horizontal molding that crowns a building or architectural element, projecting outward to shed water. In classical orders, it forms the top section of the entablature above the frieze.
From French 'corniche,' derived from Italian 'cornice' meaning 'ledge' or 'shelf,' ultimately from Greek 'koronis' meaning 'curved.' The word evolved to describe the crowning molding because of its curved, projecting profile that resembles a shelf.
Renaissance architects obsessed over cornice proportions, believing they were the 'crown' that made or broke a building's beauty. Leon Battista Alberti wrote that a poorly designed cornice could ruin an otherwise perfect facade, comparing it to a bad haircut spoiling a handsome face!
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