A special photographic campaign captures the beauty of Palladio's art following major restoration work.
Fought over by the rich nobles of the Veneto who wanted him to build them extraordinary private residences, Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) was one of the greatest architects of the Renaissance. Without ever falling from favour like the great architects who preceded him, and able to play with the tradition inherited from Vitruvius, Palladio created ‘caprices’ for his clients. He designed villas, churches and palaces between Vicenza and Venice, and published his famous treatise on architecture I quattro libri dell’architettura (Four Book on Architecture, 1570) through which his models spread, profoundly influencing European architecture. The book, curated by a well-known expert on the subject, takes a thematic approach and provides a close, detailed look at Palladio’s works, highlighting the rapport between his buildings and their settings, between public function and personal requirements. The illustrations take the form of 120 colour plates. The photographic campaign commissioned specially for this purpose recaptures the beauty of some of his villas which have recently been restored, and some of his most famous works, like the Teatro Olimpico, Palazzo Thiene and La Rotonda. The book also includes a gallery of portraits of the figures who surrounded Palladio – particularly his clients -, a complete record of his work, a chronological table and an up-to-date bibliography.