Roman Terrace with Pergola and Pools – Dwelling Under the Tent of Heaven Palladio re-interpreted Vitruvius’ ancient measurements exploring many different ratios to achieve pleasing results. The new style of architecture Palladio would develop during his lifetime would have a sense of calm and order because it was based on his interpretation of measurements gleaned from the ancient treatise of first century Roman architect Marcus Pollio Vitruvius. He believed the setting for the villa was at its very ‘ heart and soul’. The delightful villas he built in and around Venice and the nearby Veneto were designed to be in harmony and balance with man and nature and of a scale that was acceptable to both. Palladio produced a style of refined classical architecture that was in direct contrast to the more elaborate ornamentation and forms carried out elsewhere in Italy at that time. It provided his illustrations of the classical orders, which came from some of the most important buildings of antiquity together with his own ideas for works in architecture in plan elevation and section, many of which appeared on par with those from antiquity. In 1570 at Venice in Italy, where he had grown up, Andrea Palladio published his four books of architecture. He discovered that the Romans had been skillful at reinterpreting the ideas of others, especially the Greeks.Īndrea Palladio’s Villa Capra (La Rotunda) – sited on a hill ‘to see and be seen’ He believed that ‘the study of ancient remains was the power and moral force behind Roman civilization’. He wore a track up and down to Rome over the years where he avidly studied what remained of the architecture of antiquity. He grew up in the republic of Venice, becoming an architect and great traveler. Using the rediscovery of their own ancient classical past the all powerful family factions of Italy turned their energies and attention to building development in the cities and in the countryside.Īndrea Palladio (1508-1580) was born at Padua in the first decade of the sixteenth century. In his villa a man could relax, read the books of the ancients, sleep or rest as his mood dictated while enjoying the excellent wine and fresh food of the region, in great abundance.ĭuring the medieval period throughout Europe bitter rivalry and warring factions dominated everyday life.įrom the fourteenth to the sixteenth century in Italy art, literature and learning was reborn and under the encouragement and patronage of princes, popes and potentates would rise to new heights of achievement. In the first century before Christ, Horace the poet dreamed of a place far away from the bustle of the capital, one where he was not jostled by crowds, stressed out by his dealings with highly placed persons, or subjected to the consequences of trivial gossip. The Patricians of Ancient Rome established villa culture in their desire to enjoy the coveted pleasures of country life. © 2000 Artifice, Inc.Villa Capra, ‘La Rotunda’ by Venetian Architect Andrea Palladio in the Veneto, Italy Send this to a friend Subscribe Contribute Advertise Privacy Comments Title page of Andrea Palladio's Book One of The Four Books on Architecture. In America, the future president and amateur architect, Thomas Jefferson, referred to an English translation of I Quattro Libri in his possession as "the Bible." In the English-speaking world these included Inigo Jones, architect to the Stuart court in sixteenth-century England. Through its combination of clear and direct words and images, I Quattro Libri inspired numerous would-be patrons and architects. His international fame is due largely to his Italian treatise on architecture, I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (1570), four books-or chapters-on the tradition of classical architecture, illustrated by his own designs, which was translated into the main European languages. Consequently, he is probably the best-known architect in the Western world. His name is identified with the architectural movement named after him, Palladianism, which emanated from northern Italy and grew in popularity across Europe through the 16th and 17th centuries, and extended to America. The following is excerpted from a commentary by architectural historian Robert Tavernor, which is part of Octavo's publication.Īndrea Palladio (1508-80) was a very successful architect who designed many sumptuous buildings in Venice and the Veneto during the Italian Renaissance. Octavo, a publisher of rare books in digital formats, has recently issued a CD-ROM reproduction of a first edition of this classic of architectural literature. ArchitectureWeek - Culture - Palladio's Four Books on Architecture - 2000.0719Įditor's Note: In the 16th century, the great architect Andrea Palladio wrote "I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura." The influence of "The Four Books on Architecture" is still felt by professionals four centuries later.