THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Thomas Jefferson admits that the architectural style of Palladian was a favorite of his. And it certainly reflects throughout many buildings in Washington D.C.
What is Palladian architecture? For that, we need to go back to Padua, Italy, near Venice, circa 1524.
16-year-old Andrea di Pietro finishes his apprenticeship as a stonecutter. Then, he moves to nearby Vicenza, where he becomes an assistant to a prominent stonemason. His first works are monuments and decorative sculptures.
For the next 14 years, he is a stone cutter. Then, he begins playing with the symmetry and perspective of Roman and Ancient Greek classical architecture.
Out of His Stone Age.
At the age of thirty, the playwright, poet Gian Trissino hires Andrea to rebuild his home: the Villa Trissino at Cricoli.
Trissino was a fan of the work of Vitruvius from ancient Roman architecture. Upon completion, Trissino takes Andrea to Rome to see classical monuments first-hand.
Over the next ten years, they will visit Italy to study Roman architecture.
In 1554 Andrea will publish guides to Rome’s ancient monuments and churches.
Trissino bestows upon him the name of a character from one of his plays. It is a nod to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athene. So, from here on, Andrea is Palladio (the wise one).
Palladio would design churches and public buildings, but his most famous works are country houses and villas.
Palladium, the Style.
Palladio’s style emerges from the perspective, symmetry, and values of the formal temple architecture of the Ancient Greeks. He is also a fan of the Roman architecture that comes from the Greeks.
He would begin the style in the 1500s. It would continue to morph after his death until the end of the 18th century.
Palladio the Legacy.
In Vicenza alone, 23 buildings and three villas will make up the UNESCO City of Vicenza listing.
Later, 21 Palladian Villas take their place on the UNESCO City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.
By 1570, the 62-year-old becomes the leading architect in the Veneto region. He centers his attention on designing churches in Venice.
When both of his sons pass in 1572, Andrea pulls back into a life of seclusion.
When he dies seven years later, many of his projects are still not complete.
Several architects, especially Vincenzo Scamozzi and O. Bertotti-Scamozzi, both followers of Palladio, finish them.
However, maybe they add a little of their design as well.
But this blog is not about them. That would be a different blog.
And this is not a blog about Palladio’s churches in Venice. That’s a whole different blog and UNESCO listing, UNESCO Venice and its Lagoon.
The Palladian Villas.
Palladio begins by designing a series of villas around Vicenza.
Many include a nod to his first villa for his patron, Gian Giorgio Trissino.
The villas often include loggias or covered walkways on the outside of the upper levels.
Palladio begins one of the first works, Villa Godi, circa 1537.
Villa Gazzotti Grimani.
This 1550 villa is one of his early designs. It is in the village of Bertesina, just to the east of Vicenza. It is more of an extensive remodeling and addition to an already existing structure.
The Villa Angarano.
Dating from circa 1548, this is a partial Palladio. Near the town of Bassano del Grappa, there are drawings by Palladio of an estate. Possibly for financial reasons, they build only a portion of the Palladio house. Still,
There is enough to make the UNESCO listing.
Villa Pisani Bagnolo.
The villa at Bagnolo, dating from circa 1540, is Palladio’s first villa design for a Venetian patrician family. He will later build them another Villa Pisani at Montagnana.
The Villa Pisani at Stra is also for this family but centuries later.
Doge of Venice Alvise Pisani builds that modest home of 114 rooms circa 1740. My, the style looks familiar.
The Villa Thiene Museum.
It is not clear what Palladio’s involvement with this property is. It looks like he took over design during construction when the original designer Giulio Romano died in 1546. Today, it houses one of two Palladio museums. The other is in Vicenza.
Villa Valmarana Scagnolari Zen.
Dating from circa 1560, this is one of several homes for the Valmarana family. The house does not match the original design by Palladio and no one seems to know why. In World War II it receives serious damage and much of the structure today dates from the rebuild.
Villa Badoer.
Less than 20 miles north of Ferrara is this villa from circa 1563. It sits on the site of a previous medieval castle.
The Villa Barbaro (di Maser).
Sitting near Asolo north of Venice is this villa from circa 1560. When the Barbaro family dies off without heirs, it falls into ruins. Renovations begin in 1850. In 1934, the Volpi family buys the property and maintains it as a private home to this day. Several public rooms are open to the public.
Villa Emo.
A fifteen-minute drive south from Villa di Maser is this circa 1560 villa. It will remain in the Emo family until 2004. The frescos, decorations, and statues remain.
Villa Foscari (la Malcontenta)
This Palladio villa dates from circa 1560 and is still a private home. The Foscari family will include a Venetian Doge in their family tree. The villa is not open during the winter months.
The Villa Cornaro.
This circa 1552 villa is 30 minutes north of Padua. Thomas Jefferson borrows from its its pillared double front porch, when designing Monticello. It will also serve as inspiration for England’s Marble House.
Villa Almerico Capra, La Rotonda.
Paolo Almerico, a priest, retiring from the Vatican, hires Palladio to design him a home in the country. Palladio uses Rome’s Pantheon as inspiration. Construction begins by 1567. Neither designer nor the owner will live to see the 1571 completion.
These are just some of his structures on the UNESCO listing.
Palladio in Vicenza.
For his buildings, he often places them upon pedestals. This move not only makes them more visible, but it improves the view from them.
Palazzo Chiericati.
This city palace, dating from 1550, will not be completed until 1680. Palladio designs a country villa for the Chiericati family. Today it houses a museum and art gallery.
Palazzo del Capitaniato.
Dating from 1572, the building is also known as Loggia del Capitanio due to its front exterior. Palladio will design the palace twice. Twenty years after building the structure, the town hires him to remodel the facade. There are few buildings with young and old Palladio design. Today it is a government building.
Basilica Palladiana.
The central administrative building dates from an earlier time. Circa 1546, a young Palladio designs the two-story loggia or Palladian window surrounding the building. This feature will appear in Palladian architecture for centuries. On the first floor is a market.
Palazzo Thiene.
Palladio will take over the design mid-construction circa 1544 for the Thiene family’s city palace. They will hire him to do other residences.
Palazzo Barbaran da Porto.
This Paladdio palace dates from 1575 making it one of his later works. It is the only large city palace that Palladio will direct from drawing to completion. Today it is the home of the Palladio Museum of Vicenza.
Dome of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Annunciation.
The circa 1560 church is the creation of several designers. A young Palladio would design the cupola (dome) and possibly the north doorway. Unfortunately, neither of these survive the bombing of World War II. All but the facade of the present building is reconstructed.
Once again, these are just some of his structures on the UNESCO listing.
The Final Act.
Andrea’s final design is one of my favorites from his works. The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza is like nothing else. In his spare time, Palladio is a member of the Olympic Society of Vicenza. He designs this theater for their theatrical productions.
Construction would begin in February 1580.
The auditorium’s painted ceiling gives the illusion of sitting outside. Behind the rows of seats, Palladio designed a row of Corinthian columns, a nod to his Greek theater inspiration.
Unfortunately, Palladio would pass away six months into construction, never seeing the final jewel.
Vincenzo Scamozzi would complete the project. Although a follower of Palladio’s like any architect, he will put his touches on the theater.
The stage is on a severe rake, sloping down towards the audience. If you have no idea what the term “upstage” means, this theater will make it clear.
At the back (top) of the stage is a triumphal arch with three portals. These doors allow the actors to enter and exit.
At the front (bottom) of the stage is a proscenium with two doors and a central arch.
This wall has lavish decorations with columns and niches with Roman statuary. This detail will give you an idea of what Rome’s Colosseum would have looked like before the pilfering of its decorations.
Using forced perspective and the sloping stage, makes the three classical Roman streets appear to be longer.
This trick, and the actor slightly stooping as they walked away, gives the perspective of long streets.
The first performance, “Oedipus Rex,” the tragedy by Sophocles, will take place in 1584.
Palladio Goes Abroad.
During his lifetime, Palladio and his works do not venture more than 150 miles from Vicenza. Fortunately, the same is not true of the Palladium style.
England
Palladio’s work is trendy in England, where the villa-style begins influencing country houses. The English architect, Inigo Jones returns from a trip to Vicenza overflowing with Palladian-inspired ideas.
In his life, Jones will become a fan of Palladio. He will collect more than 330 of Palladio’s original drawings during his first Grand Tour circa 1613.
Today, his collection of Palladio’s drawings, are in the Royal Institute of British Architects archives.
Jone’s first significant work in the inspired style is the 1635 Queen’s House at Greenwich.
To confirm the Palladio inspiration in England, one must look no further than Jone’s Palladio Bridge at Wilton House.
In addition, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia has a similar-looking marble bridge in her gardens at Tsarskoe Selo.
You will find Palladio’s style in the works of other English architects, including Elizabeth Wilbraham, William Kent, and Christopher Wren.
France.
By the 1700s, Palladio’s style is throughout the properties of the royals and aristocrats.
Claude Nicolas Ledoux incorporates Palladian ideas in his new Neoclassical architecture.
Looking at his Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans there is no doubt about his inspiration.
Palladio in the United States.
Architect Thomas Dawes incorporates the style when rebuilding Harvard Hall at Harvard University.
And where do England’s and New England’s Georgian and Federal styles come from? Well, it is a rethinking of Renaissance architecture.
And what do they all have in common?
Symmetry and proportion are based on the classical architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Well, just who do we think is responsible for that? Could it be Palladio?
The before-mentioned Thomas Jefferson will use it at his residence, Monticello.
When Jefferson holds a competition for the design of the first Capitol building, William Thornton wins. Interestingly, his design looks similar to La Rotonda.
Much of the Washington D.C. government architecture will have a Roman Empire (Palladio) style.
Palladio in Summary.
This collection is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Palladio.
There are dozens more of his structures just in Vicenza, let alone across the Veneto.
Then when you add the Palladio-inspired styles, well, the options are endless.
Any trip to the Venato area warrants at least one visit to a Palladio structure.
And it doesn’t have to be a villa or civic building.
I know my O.C.D. is grateful for Palladio’s Symmetry and proportion.
To read more about Venice, click here.
To read more about the wines of the Veneto, a great pairing with local architecture, click here.
Would you please scroll down to the “Hey Explorer, what are your thoughts” section below?
Then, please comment or tell me your thoughts on:
“Are you a fan of Palladio-inspired architecture? What is your favorite structure?”
Would you mind helping me spread the news by rating, commenting, and sharing this blog below? – THANKS!
“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.
I loved reading all the architectural history, and the background and thought behind the Teatro Olimpico was particularly interesting. To have one human being with as much artistry and creativity as Palladio leave such a legacy on the world is inspiring to say the least! Thank you for the lesson!
Thanks, Thom. You are a good teacher! The courthouse in. My Indiana hometown is a small doozy of Faneuil Hall. It is unlike any Hoosier Courthouse that I have seen. The settlers of the area were New Englanders. I see Palladio’s influence in the Rotunda at The University of Virginia.
I am so impressed by the Villa Almerico Capra, La Rotonda. It is so majestic and symmetrical. The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza is awe inspiring with it’s ornate stage and brilliant forced perspective. The fact that it is over 500 years old is astounding. I am such a fan of Palladio with his use of classical and timeless design and am proud that our forefathers incorporated it into our most treasured buildings. This was a very interesting read Thomas. I do love architecture that uses beauty and function.