Palladio, Andrea

Palladio, Andrea a famous Italian architect, was born at Vicenza Nov. 30, 1518. After having critically studied the writings of Vitruvius, and the monuments, of antiquity at Rome, he settled in his native city, and first acquired a reputation by his restoration of the Basilica of Vicenza. Pope Paul III next invited him to Rome, designing to intrust him with the execution of the works then going on at St. Peter's, but unfortunately Paul died' before Palladio's arrival. He was employed for many years in the construction of numerous buildings in Vicenza and the neighborhood, in all of which he displayed the most exquisite taste combined with the most ingenious and imaginative ornamentation. His style, known as "the Palladian," is composite, and is characterized by great splendor of execution and justness of proportion. It exercised an immense influence on the architecture of Northern Italy. His principal works in ecclesiastical architecture are the churches of San Giorgio Maggiore and II Santissimo Redentore at Venice, the atriuns and cloister at the convent Della Carith, and the fagade of San Francesco della Vigna in the same city. Palladio died at Vicenza Aug. 6, 1580. He wrote a work on architecture which is highly prized. The best edition is that published at Vicenza in 4 vols. (1776). See Quatremere de Quincy, Histoire des plus celebres architectes; Temanza, Vite degli architetti Teneziani; Ticozzi, Dizionario, s.v.