Venice, Vicenza and the Architectural Style of Andrea Palladio
Come along as EDGE’s Richard Frisbie tours his favorite architecture sites in Venice!
When booking a trip to Italy, I was excited to read that my first hotel, the Molino Stucky Hilton, was a 25 minute boat ride from the airport. That’s when the reality of it finally hit me. I was going to Venice!
My interest in this part of Italy is primarily architecture. Andrea Palladio is the Italian Architect responsible for the classic look of the buildings in Venice and Vicenza. His designs are copied all over the world. Besides designing or influencing the design of most of the important buildings in Venice, nearby Vicenza has a unique position in the world of architecture.
Andrea Palladio
There are 23 examples of Andrea Palladio’s work in the town of Vicenza, with walking tours laid out to view them all. An additional 16 villas in his elegant classical design are located outside the town in the Vicenza region, of which Venice is a part. All are designated as unique buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Even though Andrea Palladio is identified as a Vicenzian, he was born in Padua in 1508. He became established as the "go to" architect of the Vicenza elite in the 1540s after extensive construction experience and years of studying the architecture of Rome. He spent the next decades developing his distinctive Palladian style through the design and construction of the finest buildings of his, and some say, of all time.
At the height of his career, in 1570, he published "The Four Books of Architecture", a compendium of all he learned about classic design and the uses of concrete. This collection of his teachings led to the development of the school of architecture known as Palladianism, which is still studied over four centuries later. Today, Andrea Palladio is widely recognized as the most influential architect of all time.
Architecture Tours
My visit to Venice was a whirlwind walking and boating tour. Think graceful archways flanked by columns, Palladio’s signature design and classic elements in nearly every facade on the Grand Canal. Piazza San Marcos is surrounded by them, too, so the walking tour was filled with evidence of Palladio’s brilliance. The Villas in the mainland of Vicenza offered me a better opportunity to see the gorgeous interiors he incorporated into his designs.
My visit to Vicenza included a walking tour through the ancient streets to view the perfection of his designs of churches, palaces and public buildings. The ratios of one element to another, the proportions and sizes of the arches and columns, the distinctive balance of classical beauty and functionality all epitomize Andrea Palladio’s design.
Teatro Olimpico
The highlight for me was the Teatro Olimpico, or Olympic Theater. It is an amazing lesson in perspective. The stage back has three openings, or gates, through which one can see streets recreated within the theater in a diminishing scale from front to back.
The theater itself gave the impression of being "open air", with the ceiling painted as the sky. An actor could exit the stage by strolling through the gates into the city and disappear into a backstreet. No picture can do it justice, and my walking tour did not include the stage, but trust me - in 1580 Palladio designed a stage set to rival anything Hollywood could build today. Unfortunately, he never saw it completed. His son, Silla, oversaw the completion in 1583 as a fitting tribute to his father’s genius.
Palladio Villas
The 16 Palladio Villas in the surrounding countryside were built for a leisured and moneyed class. I toured by car on routes developed and mapped to allow tourists and students of architecture easy access to them - many of which are open to the public. They were considered the epitome of style and design for rural (often summer) residences. Those used year-round were elaborately painted with murals on the interior walls and ceilings by the top painters of the day, such as Dorigny & Tiepolo.
Up next: More architecture and the wines to match, plus getting to and staying in Venice!
