Palladio: The Birth of Palladianism
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Palladio is the only architect to have a school of architecture named after him - Pallad 
ianism. His innovations were used throughout the world at the time. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home was based on it. The Southern School of Architecture a school of architecture that derives from his. He wrote 'The Four Books of Architecture' which is still in print today.
Palladio lived in a time when the surrounding wars had come to an end and the Gothic fortress homes of that time were no longer required. He was the first architect to focus on homes being functional and comfortable rather than a protection against invading forces. He visited Rome and was a student of Greek architecture. He used what he knew in innovative ways. He differed in the following ways. He brought new methods of decoration, i.e. motifs to architecture. Invented the loggia - a room which had open sides, almost like our balcony or verandahs today. He used the Greek columns which had not been used at that time for close to 1500 years. He also used the pediment. He invented the 'double storey' by putting one loggia on top of the other, and one set of columns on top of the other.
Palladio looked for economical materials. Up to that time, stone had been imported. Palladio used brick, covered it with stucco, used wood wrapped in straw for architraves, and used terra cotta for capitals (the top of the columns). He brought balance to his homes. This meant that there was a certain ambience when one walked in. He said that the parts of the house had to relate to each other and to the whole. It is possible he used the Golden Mean, as the size of the rooms in Village Cornaro correspond to the Golden Mean. This is demonstrated in the floor plan of Villa Cornaro.
Villa Cornaro was the epitome of Palladio's middle period. To save the money that would have been spent on tapestries, he used frescoes on walls instead of expensive wall hangings, a first at that time.
The villa is symmetrical, a new innovation as well. Gothic architecture had been assymetrical. There were passages built underneath the house in order to cart water to the rooms and the upper floor was identical to the lower floor.
Palladio lived in a time when the surrounding wars had come to an end and the Gothic fortress homes of that time were no longer required. He was the first architect to focus on homes being functional and comfortable rather than a protection against invading forces. He visited Rome and was a student of Greek architecture. He used what he knew in innovative ways. He differed in the following ways. He brought new methods of decoration, i.e. motifs to architecture. Invented the loggia - a room which had open sides, almost like our balcony or verandahs today. He used the Greek columns which had not been used at that time for close to 1500 years. He also used the pediment. He invented the 'double storey' by putting one loggia on top of the other, and one set of columns on top of the other.
Palladio looked for economical materials. Up to that time, stone had been imported. Palladio used brick, covered it with stucco, used wood wrapped in straw for architraves, and used terra cotta for capitals (the top of the columns). He brought balance to his homes. This meant that there was a certain ambience when one walked in. He said that the parts of the house had to relate to each other and to the whole. It is possible he used the Golden Mean, as the size of the rooms in Village Cornaro correspond to the Golden Mean. This is demonstrated in the floor plan of Villa Cornaro.
Villa Cornaro was the epitome of Palladio's middle period. To save the money that would have been spent on tapestries, he used frescoes on walls instead of expensive wall hangings, a first at that time.
The villa is symmetrical, a new innovation as well. Gothic architecture had been assymetrical. There were passages built underneath the house in order to cart water to the rooms and the upper floor was identical to the lower floor.