The
Life of Andrea Palladio
( 1508
- 1580 )
Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known to history as " Andrea Palladio"
was born in Padua in 1508. At 13 years old, he was apprenticed to a
local stonecutter.
But, after only 18 months, Palladio broke his contract and fled to
the nearby town of Vicenza where his uncle enabled him to join
the guild of stonecutters and stonemasons, and to find work at the celebrated
Pedemuro workshop. In Vicenza, Palladio realized his own destiny.
Andrea Palladio's presumably settled life was transformed in 1537 when
he encountered his great mentor Count Trissino. A man who was at the
center of Vicentine society, and the main catalyst behind the transformation
of the city of Vicenza from it's previous romano-medieval form of architecture
to the sumptuous renaissance style of architecture that the city
enjoys today.
Count Trissino quickly realized that Andrea, later renamed by Trissino
" Andrea Palladio", was the potential champion to realize
the needs and requirements of the city of Vicenza. Trissino immediately
set about the task of introducing Palladio to the principles of classical
architecture. Palladio was taken on several field trips to study the
works of the ancients, particuarly in Rome.
Also, through Trissino's social circle, Palladio was able to come into
contact with other renaissance architects and influences that helped
to slowly create his own unique form of architecture.
Andrea Palladio was literally created from the needs of the clients
he served. First, the city of Vicenza, and then later in the 1550's
and onwards the nobility of Venice as they conquered the mainland establishing
country estates for which he built his famous villas.
His place in architectural history was ensured in 1570. Following years
of preparation, he published in Venice his "four books of architecture".
The book helped create the Palladian movement in 17th century
England, that later so greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson and
architecture in the US.
Andrea Palladio died in 1580, in his adopted town of Vicenza.
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