Palladian Perfect
As anyone who’s studied design and architecture knows, Andrea Palladio’s classical theories have influenced and inspired every succeeding generation, right up to the present. But reading “The Four Books of Architecture” or looking at images doesn’t hold a candle to visiting Vicenza, the Italian city that was transformed by his vision. Walking down its streets is traveling through a slice of history – from early buildings like the Guilio-Romano-inspired Palazzo Thiene to the pink-brick Loggia del Capitaniato, the Basilica Palladiano in the main piazza, or the extraordinary Teatro Olimpico, his final building. Despite using the same vocabulary of basic classical elements, each of the buildings has a distinctive look , and it’s virtually impossible to pick a favorite among them. On the other hand, it’s equally impossible to resist the allure of the La Rotonda, the legendary villa on a hill just outside the city. Nowadays, modern technology and space-age materials have made possible buildings unlike anything imagined in prior centuries, but we can’t help but be amazed with what this practical-minded architect was able to do with inexpensive materials like brick and stucco.
Judith Gura
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