Andrea Palladio was born on March 30, 1508 in Veneto, Italy and lived until August 19, 1580. “It can be safely said that Andre Palladio ranks not only among the most famous, but also among the most influential architects of all time. However, when we turn to his life and to his person, we find that very little of either the man or his life is known.” –Adolf Placzek iHe was born as Andrea Di Pietro Della Gondola. Palladio was given to him during his teens by his boss where he worked. During his youth he worked as an apprentice to a sculptor in Padua. Sometime between ages thirteen and sixteen he moved to Vicenza where he joined the guild of bricklayers and stonemasons. While working on a villa owned by Gian Giorgio Trissino, Trissino himself noticed Palladio’s skills and enlisted him as his personal confidant. Palladio also may have gone back to Padua with Trissino in 1538, this trip would have exposed Young Palladio to the architectural works of: Cornaro, and the painting styles of Falconetto. The influence of this trip is seen in early sketches by Palladio, you can see pedantry and self-consciousness similar to what is seen in Villa Cricoli. In 1541 and 1547 Palladio visited Rome with Trissino. Prior to these visits he had witnessed Trissino’s interpretation of Roman architecture while working on the Villa. iiGoing to Rome however allowed Palladio to witness the works of Vitruvius who he later described as “his master and guide.” iiiWith the exception of Nimes, he never left Italy. Palladio’s birth could not have been placed better. He was not at the center of development of architecture for his time, and this allowed him to absorb the byzantine fantasy from his start, unlike other architects who moved to Vicenza. ivPalladio was the only first rate architect born and raised in Veneto. In 1546 Palladio drew up plans for the reconstruction of the 15-century town all in Vicenza. This was his first major public commission and has since been known as The Basilica. This was a great victory for him because many older, and well known architects had seen their plans be rejected. His plans included re-casing the main hall with white stone to serve as support for the old walls. The buttress was built in taste with the gothic style of the original, and classical order. The building renovations were completed in 1617. vAll his works were completed in Vicenza or the immediate area surrounding it. Giving it the nick name “The Palladian City”
Palladio was influenced by Baldassarre Peruzzi, the architect on Trissino’s villa, by Vitruvius, who as mentioned was his self-described “master and guide,” by Sebastian Serlio, who’s books were to become an inspiration for him, as well as Donato Bramante, Peruzzi, and Raphael. By 1540 he had designed his first villa for Girolamo de’ Godi. viThe Godi Villa is related closely to the one owned by Trissino where Palladio learned his trade, but has closer ties to the traditional Venetian house. He also designed his first Palazzo at this time. Most of Palladio’s development of his Palazzo style happened during the mid and late 1540’s before his third visit to Rome in 1554-56. Elevations were always important to Palladio and the axial symmetry of his buildings is emphasized when viewed perpendicular to the cardinal sides the often featured a serliana, which later became known as the Palladian window because of how often he featured them in his elevations. As time moved on, Palladio developed three main areas of his architectural talent: the urban palazzo, the agricultural villa, and churches.
His urban palazzos had three distinct forms within themselves the first style has an example built in 1550 and is called Palazzo Chiericati, in which you can see heavy influence from Palazzo Civena he built in 1542. The basis of this design is a block with its axis towards the pavement. Its features a loggia, a roofed open gallery. Three part division is seen on the elevations that are colonnaded and focus the eye
