The great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, born in Padua in 1508, is best known for his majestic villas scattered throughout the hills and plains of the Veneto countryside. Ranging from working farms to country residences, these structures reflect contemporary views on villa culture, which held that spending time in nature away from the chaos of the city was a path to moral betterment. Retreating to the countryside also provided the opportunity to engage in intellectual pursuits surrounded by the beauty of a pastoral setting.

Art historian Sophia D’Addio of Columbia University explores the architecture and context of a series of Palladio’s villas in connection with his writings on villa design in the influential treatise The Four Books of Architecture. She highlights the Villa Barbaro at Maser, the Villa Emo at Fanzolo, and the iconic Villa Almerico-Capra, known as the Villa Rotonda, and examines a selection of painted decorations that adorn them.

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*

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*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.