Four Centuries of Literature On Palladio

Four Centuries of Literature on Palladio
Author(s): Deborah Howard

Source: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians , Oct., 1980, Vol. 39, No. 3
(Oct., 1980), pp. 224-241
Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural
Historians
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/989568
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BOOKS
REVIEW ESSAY
FOUR CENTURIES OF LITERATURE ON PALLADIO style as he presented it in the Quattro Libri had little affinity with the
exuberances of the Italian Baroque, although a number of 17th-century
(commemorating the 4ooth anniversary of the architect's death)
architects, especially Bernini, learned much from Palladio's example.3
IT WOULD BE scarcely an exaggeration to claim that moreEven
has Palladio's
been most notable immediate follower, Vincenzo Scamozzi,
took makes
written about Palladio than about any other great architect. This up the more Baroque tendencies of his master's last works, instead
of preaching
the task of the present reviewer a daunting one. It will obviously be what one might call "pure Palladianism."4 The reaction
impossible in a short essay to discuss every work on the subject,which so often follows the death of a great artist, musician, or writer,
or even
musttry
to give full reviews of the principal monographs. Instead I shall have
torun parallel to the broad current of taste moving away from
show how different writers have approached the subject duringthe
thesober
fourtenets of Palladio's treatise. As we shall see, many I gth-century
centuries since his death. In the course of the survey I shall critics,
single too,
out found themselves unable to appreciate Palladio's classical
what I consider to be the most valuable contributions to the style.
Palladio
The reasons for the sudden acceleration in Palladio studies since
literature, and attempt to show how changing currents of taste 1959 have
will become apparent later in this essay. For the moment I shall
affected the views of critics over the centuries. turn to the works written during Palladio's own lifetime or soon after his
death.
A glance at the chronologically arranged bibliography at the end of
Lionello Puppi's recent monograph reveals a curious pattern in the
Early Biographies
output of works specifically devoted to Palladio.2 An important series of
Vasari's account of Palladio was included in his life of Jacopo Sanso-
books was published in England and the Veneto during the I 8th century,
vino
but, apart from this, the great mass of the literature belongs to thein last
the second edition of the Vite, published in 568.5 His descrip-
two decades. The lack of publications before the height of tion theofI8th-
Palladio's works contains the minor confusions, repetitions, and
eccentric
century Palladian revival is to a large extent due to the fact that spellings that are so characteristic of the Lives, but on a factual
Palladio
himself provided his own textbook, in the form of his seminal level archi-
it gives some valuable and reliable evidence, especially on the state
tectural treatise I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (Fig. i). Moreover, his of the Venetian works at the time of the author's visit to
of completion
Venice in 566.
As a critic Vasari has no hesitation in rating Palladio above all other
I am extremely grateful to Bruce Boucher and Howard Burns for reading
the manuscript and making helpful and knowledgeable suggestions,
Vicentine artists, and praises his work effusively. The qualities which he
which have been incorporated into the text. I also owe special admires
thanksmost
to in Palladio's architecture-magnificence, convenience,
my husband, Malcolm Longair, for his constant encouragement, andand for of the ancients-are predictable in view of his artistic
emulation
his objective comments on the content of the paper. This essay is dedi-
background. Significantly, he writes of Palladio's buildings that "sarebbe
cated to Peter Murray on his 6oth birthday.
stata lunghissima
The most useful moder bibliographies of the Palladio literature are storia voler raccontare molti particolari di belle e
those given in Puppi, Andrea Palladio, In, 445-455; and Burns straneetinvenzioni
al., e capricci"6 (it would need a very long account to
Andrea Palladio I508-I580, z69-276. See also the additional describe
bibliog-many details with beautiful and strange inventions and ca-
prices). This is not the conventional view of Palladio, but the discrepancy
raphies listed in N. Carboneri, "La storiografia moderna e il Palladio,"
Bollettino CISA, XII, 1970, 333, n. 74. between the styles of the two architects has been exaggerated by pos-
For reasons of space it unfortunately has not been possible to discuss
every important contribution to the subject. Among the most prominent
omissions are the following studies of Palladian and other villas:3. See G.
M.C. Argan, "La fortuna critica del Palladio nell'eta barocca,"
Muraro, Le Villas de la Venetie, Venice, I954; R. Cevese,Bollettino
Le ville del Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea
vicentine, 2 vols., Milan, 1971; and K. Forster, "Back to the Palladio
Farm,"(henceforth Bollettino CISA), Vicenza, xII, I970, 74-84; and
R. Wittkower, "Palladio and Bernini," in Palladio and English Palla-
Architectura, IV, 1974, I-I3. The following works are particularly
important sources of information on Palladio's historical anddianism,
intellec- London, 1974, 23-38.
tual background: B. Morsolin, GianGiorgio Trissino, Vicenza, 4. Scamozzi's
1878; L. own treatise, L'idea dell'architettura universale, z vols.,
Venice,
Puppi, Scrittori vicentini d'architettura nel secolo XVI, Vicenza, I615, does not even mention Palladio. However, some of Sca-
1974
mozzi's reactions to Palladio's work were recorded by Inigo Jones in the
(this book publishes Trissino's fragmentary writings on architecture);
and G. Mantese, Memorie storiche della Chiesa vicentina, III, margins
partofI,his own copy of Palladio's Quattro Libri dell'Architettura,
Vicenza, 1964, and iv, parts i & 2, Vicenza, 1974. The samefollowing
author's conversations with the older architect during his second tour
of Italy
numerous articles on 6th-century Vicenza and Palladio's patrons, manyin 1613-1614. Jones's copy, at Worcester College, Oxford, has
now been
of which are listed in the bibliography of Burns's catalogue cited published in facsimile (see fn. 34).
above,
should also be mentioned. 5. G. Vasari, Le vite de' piu eccellenti pittori, scultori e architetti, 3
i. The literature on Raphael and Michelangelo is probably equally vols., Florence, 1568. References given here will be taken from G.
copious, but tends to neglect their architecture. Milanesi's edition of the Vite, 9 vols., Milan, I878-i885, vII.
2. L. Puppi, Andrea Palladio, 2 vols., Milan, 1973, nI, 445-45 5. 6. Vasari, Vite, ed. Milanesi, vII, 53 I.
224

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BOOK REVIEWS 225
bibliophile, Apostolo Zeno. The manuscript, now in the Biblioteca

Correr in Venice, was first published in Vicenza in 1749, but its reli-
ability was soon strongly challenged by Temanza in his own life of
Palladio.8 Only since its republication by GianGiorgio Zorzi in I959 has
the real value of the biography been appreciated.9
Zorzi showed that the manuscript, which is datable to 1616-1617,
was in fact the work of Giuseppe's son, the Vicentine noble and priest
Paolo Gualdo (1553-16z2). Not only can the content of the biography
be reconciled with early published sources, but it also agrees precisely
with archival evidence discovered more recently. Gualdo's statement
that Palladio was born in I508, which was rejected by Temanza, accords
with records of Palladio's age in various notarial documents. Moreover,
the account of Palladio's early training-his apprenticeship as a stone-
mason, his classical studies with GianGiorgio Trissino and his repeated
visits to Rome-agrees with other contemporary sources. Even the
statement, doubted by Zorzi, that Palladio made a design for the Palazzo
Ducale in Venice after the fire of 1577, has recently been accepted by
Howard Burns, who identified what appears to be one of Palladio's own
schemes for the rebuilding of the Ducal Palace among the drawings at
Chatsworth.10 Gualdo is not merely factually dependable. He also pin-
points deftly the secrets of Palladio's success-his intensive studies of
ancient remains, his classical erudition, his excellent personal relation-
ships with both patrons and workmen, the taste and grandeur of his
buildings, and his highly influential treatise. The only point on which
Gualdo's Vita can be definitely faulted is his opening phrase "Nacque il
Palladio in Vicenza ..." for we now know that Palladio was actually
born in Padua. However, since he was so to speak a Vicentino by
adoption, this is a trivial error, and should in no way detract from the
merits of this succinct and authoritative biography.
Palladio's Own Writings
Palladio himself left no strictly autobiographical material apart from

some letters, but his published works are rich in information about his
career and his approach to architectural problems.
His first books were two small pamphlets published in Rome in 15 54,
the year of his last visit to Rome in the company of his friend and patron
Daniele Barbaro.1 One, L'antichita di Roma, was a concise, serviceable
visitors' guidebook to the classical remains of the city. The tone of the
Fig. i. Andrea Palladio, I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura, Venice, 1 570,
book is definitely Baedekerian rather than Antiquarian. The Colosseum,
title page.
for example, is described as follows:
... e di fuori di trevertini, di forma rotonda, & di dentro di forma

ovata, & e tanto alto, che giunge quasi a l'altezza del Monte Celio, &
terity. Vasari's own Mannerist inclinations naturally turned his atten-
vi stavano dentro a sedere 85 millia persone.12
tion to the more bizarre touches in Palladio's designs. What is more, by
the time of his meeting with Vasari in 1566 Palladio was beginning to (... outside it is round in shape and built of travertine, and inside oval.
develop a late style that was both richer and more daring than that of his It is so high that it is almost as tall as Monte Celio, and it can seat 85
maturity. thousand people.)
Vasari does not view Palladio as the classical purist which later The pamphlet, written to supersede the long outdated medieval guide to
critics-largely through the medium of Palladio's own Quattro Libri Rome, not only reveals Palladio's familiarity with the antiquities them-
dell'Architettura-came to consider him. This is not to say that Vasari selves, but also indicates his wide ranging knowledge of the writings of
himself did not know the Quattro Libri, although the treatise was not classical authors.
published until 1570. In his text he speaks of two volumes by Palladio,
one on the buildings of antiquity and one on the architect's own works,
which were soon to be printed.7 Indeed he must have read a draft of
Palladio's Second Book. For instance, his account of the Villa Trissino at 8. G. Montenari, Del Teatro Olimpico di Andrea Palladio in Vicenza,
Meledo bears no resemblance to the small portion which was actually znd ed., Vicenza, I749. Temanza's Vita di Andrea Palladio was first
built, but reflects the treatise accurately; and parts of his description of published in Venice in 1762. It is included in T. Temanza, Vite dei piit
celebri architetti e scultori veneziani, Venice, 1778, 284-408.
the Convento della Carita quote Palladio's text almost word for word.
9. P. Gualdo, "Vita di Andrea Palladio," ed. G. G. Zorzi, Saggi e
Vasari's comments are revealing, above all, as the words of a near
Memorie di Storia dell'Arte, ii, 1959, 93-104.
contemporary and fellow architect brought up in the very different 10. H. Burns, B. Boucher, and L. Fairbairn, Andrea Palladio 50o8-
cultural context of central Italy. 1580: The Portico and the Farmyard, Arts Council Catalogue, London,
Another early biography, then attributed to Giuseppe Gualdo, came I975, 158-160.
to light in the i8th century, when it was acquired by the Venetian 11. Both works have been published conveniently in facsimile in P.
Murray, ed., Five early Guides to Rome and Florence, Farnborough,
1972. See also L. Puppi, "Bibliografia e letteratura palladiana," in
catalogue of the Mostra del Palladio, Vicenza, 1973, 176.
7. Vasari, Vite, ed. Milanesi, vII, 5 3 . 12. A. Palladio, L'antichita di Roma, Rome, 1 554, 9.

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2z6 JSAH, XXXIX:3, OCTOBER 1980
The second booklet, his Descrittione delle Chiese che sono in la Citti In the Preface to Book I Palladio sets out hi
de Roma, is a brief, straightforward account of the most venerated treatise. He hopes to teach his readers how to
Christian monuments and relics of Rome, arranged systematically quar-
. . . lasciar da parte gli strani abusi, le bar
ter by quarter for the convenience of visitors. A diary of Christian superflue spese, &, (quello che piu importa)
festivals and Stations of the Cross is added at the end of the book. That
continoue rovine, che in molte fabriche si sono
Palladio should have chosen to write a second guidebook so sparse in
(... leave aside strange abuses, barbarous inv
architectural comment suggests that he himself recognized the need for
expense, and (most important of all) to pre
an up-to-date pilgrims' manual. Palladio seems to have been a deeply
continual collapses which are seen in many bui
religious man, but his approach is once again matter-of-fact and instruc-
tive. Characteristically he stresses the importance of
The same didactic, down to earth quality characterizes all of Pal- questi libri fuggir6 la lunghezza delle parole." (A
ladio's writings. At the time of his last visit to Rome he had apparently shall not waste words.)
already begun writing his own architectural treatise.13 The project was The wealth of sensible, practical advice contain
conceived in ten books, emulating the treatises of Vitruvius and Alberti. is probably the secret of their great and end
In the event only four books were issued in his lifetime, but these expresses his debt to earlier authors, especially
Quattro Libri dell'Architettura, published in Venice in 1570, were to (Preface to Book I), but goes beyond all his predec
become probably the most influential of all architectural books. Cer- his presentation.17 Illustrated printed books we
tainly the treatise had a far wider influence than Palladio's own buildings. netian publishers, and the great beauty of the pag
The four books which were published were those dealing with the features of the Quattro Libri (Fig. z). Althoug
general principles of architecture, private buildings, public buildings, executed the woodcuts, the impressive page l
and temples. The series was intended to continue with books on theaters, individual illustrations must have been designed
amphitheaters, arches, baths, aqueducts, and fortifications, but of these the plates are instructive as well as beautiful. In
only the drawings for the volume on Roman baths were published, in had pioneered the richly illustrated architec
8th-century facsimile editions in England and Italy.14 avoided perspective in his elevations. Instead
Surviving fragments of early drafts of the treatise give some insight orthogonal projection so that the proportions
into the revisions of Palladio's text during the long period of prepara- reproduced exactly. Clarity is also the essence of
tion.15 For instance, they show how his first impulsive feelings were the book is essentially theoretical, Palladio's tex
toned down for the sake of tact to his employers. In an addition to the from abstract philosophizing.
first version he complains bitterly of being forced to concede to the Despite this directness, the Quattro Libri are p
demands of patrons. A correction to this insertion states simply that he information about his life, his works, and his idea
has to take the wishes of his patrons as his starting point. In the a finely balanced blend of the practical and the id
published version this passage is omitted altogether, and he merely the systematic. Architects, critics, and historians
comments that architects have to comply with the will of those who are the strange anomalies and inconsistencies in w
paying (Book II, p. 3). Later he expresses gratitude for the opportunities well-ordered a treatise.18
afforded to him by his generous and enlightened patrons (Book II, p. 4). Both in the dedication to Conte Giacomo Angar
The book was evidently intended to be read by his own employers and by to Book I we learn how, ever since he first becam
patrons in general, as well as by other architects. The educated nobility ture as a youth, Palladio had not only studied
in the Veneto certainly did read architectural treatises, and were prob- surveyed the remains of classical antiquity with t
ably better versed in architecture than the aristocracy elsewhere in and precision. The thoroughness of his archae
Italy.16 from his numerous surviving drawings as we
Libri.19 Yet even the representations of well-k
treatise raise problems when scrutinized more c
the I8th century that the dimensions given by
13. G. A. Doni, Seconda libreria, Venice, 1554, 155, states that Pal- correspond strictly with those of the monuments
ladio had written ". . . e disegnato molte e bellissime cose pertinenti a more, the measurements quoted in the text do
tutte le sorti di edifici, le quali e grandissimo peccato che non si stam- those in the plates, and those of details such as ca
pino" ( ... and drawn many most beautiful things relevant to all sorts of
not correspond either. There is no simple answ
buildings, and it is a, great pity that they are not published). Daniele
some cases, anomalies can be attributed to carel
Barbaro in his critical edition of Vitruvius, published in I 5 56, for which
Palladio contributed the illustrations, writes that Palladio was about to graphical errors. In others it seems that Palla
publish a book of his own private buildings with some antique examples buildings of the ancients to his own sophisticate
(I dieci libri di Vitruvius tradutti e commentati da Mons. Barbaro eletto
di Aquileggia, Venice, 1556, 178, 306). See G. G. Zorzi, "La prepara-
zione de 'I Quattro Libri' .. .," in I disegni delle antichita di Andrea I7. R. Pane, "I Quattro Libri," Bollettino CISA
Palladio, Venice, I959, I45ff. i8. Recent discussions include: G. G. Zorzi, "
14. R. Lord Burlington, Fabbriche antiche disegnate da Andrea Pal- palladiane pubblicate ne 'I Quattro Libri' e il loro
ladio Vicentino, London, 1730; republished by Bertotti Scamozzi in opere eseguite," Bollettino CISA, III, 1961, 12-17
Vicenza, 1785. deficienze e inesattezze de 'I Quattro Libri dell'A
15. See Zorzi, I disegni, i45ff.; and Bums et al., Andrea Palladio, Palladio," Bollettino CISA, III, 1961, 143-148;
IOI--IIO. Libri' di Andrea Palladio," Bollettino CISA,v, 19
i6. GianGiorgio Trissino knew Alberti and "II valore dei
Vitruvius (R.'Quattro Libri'," Bollettino CISA
Wittkower,
L. Puppi,
Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism, "Dubbi
London, e certezze
1949, revised per Palladio costr
ed. I962, 59-60); and so did Alvise CornaroVeneta,
(Vasari,xxviii, 1974,
Vite, ed. 93-105.
Milanesi,
19. and
v, 321). Barbaro knew Vitruvius (obviously!) See probably
Zorzi, I disegni;
owned aBurs et al., Andrea
Forssman, "Palladio
copy of Francesco di Giorgio's treatise in manuscript. e l'antichita";
Serlio's Books III and Bums, "
and IV were published in Venice in 1540 logue Mostra
and 1537 del Palladio,
respectively. TheVicenza, 1973, 17-2
20. of
manuscript of Filarete's treatise in the library Temanza, Vite, 1778,
the monastery of SS. 34I-342. The inacc
by comparison
Giovanni e Paolo in Venice was also well known with
(now in the the strictly accurate sur
Biblioteca
Marciana, Cod. mem. lat., vii, I ). edifices de Rome, Paris, 1682.

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BOOK REVIEWS Z27
P R I M 0. 63
Fig. z. Andrea Palladio, Quattro Libri, book I, types of staircases.
-harmonizing the proportions, regularizing the irregular, and balanc- the design of this early villa to bring it in line with his mature style. In
ing the asymmetrical. There can also be no doubt that although he other examples, such as the Villa Godi at Lonedo and the Villa Pisani at
claimed to have travelled widely, both in Italy and further afield, to study Montagnana, outbuildings have been added where the nature of the sites
the monuments of antiquity (Dedication and Preface to Book I), Palladio would forbid this in practice (Book II, pp. 65 and 52). Some adjustments
used versions by other draftsmen in instances where he was unable to apparently were made to increase the effectiveness of the elevations on
visit the monuments themselves. For example, he drew on a printed the printed page, such as the side walls of the Villa Malcontenta and the
source for his rendering of the two temples at Nimes.21 Finally, we raised dome of the Villa Rotonda (Book II, pp. 50 and I9). Yet Palladio
should remember that Palladio made his own imaginary reconstructions was surely aware that the patrons named in the treatise would see the
of remains that were largely in ruins. book. One can only assume that he expected them to interpret the
As a "catalogue" of his own buildings the Quattro Libri are equally representations of their own villas or palaces as generalized examples,
puzzling. In Book II he discusses and illustrates all his important palace adapted, or even improved, to serve as models for other builders.
and villa commissions up to the time of publication. The Basilica of What is clear is that the Quattro Libri should not be used as a guide to
Vicenza and his bridge designs are included in Book III. His ecclesiastical what Palladio's buildings were "supposed" to look like. As Zorzi dem-
commissions were mostly too late for inclusion in the treatise. Book IV onstrated, the treatise does not show original projects, altered by Pal-
makes no more than a passing reference to San Giorgio Maggiore. After ladio himself or changed after his death, since the preparatory drawings
all, there was no dearth of fine antique temples to serve as examples. lead up to the actual buildings as they were executed.22 Equally, it is now
Once again, in the presentation of Palladio's own works, there is a evident that the completion of such vast schemes as the Palazzo Thiene in
surprisingly casual element. For example, the two elevations of Palazzo Vicenza or the Villa Trissino at Meledo (Book II, pp. 1-15 and 60) was
Chiericati do not match (Book II, pp. 7-8) and a superseded plan of never a practical possibility.23 More illuminating are projects such as the
Palazzo Barbarano is illustrated because, Palladio claims, he had no time Villas Emo and Badoer (Book II, pp. 55 and 48), where the published
to have a new block made (Book II, p. zz). Again, the plan and elevation versions correspond closely with the executed buildings. In their unity of
of the Villa Barbaro at Maser do not quite correspond (Book II, p. 5 ). form and function these schemes obviously gave Palladio considerable
Other illustrations are markedly different from the actual buildings. In satisfaction, and he saw little need to idealize them. The treatise is also
the case of the Villa Pisani at Bagnolo the plate would be unrecognizable valuable for its common sense observations on the practical details of
but for the caption (Book II, p. 47). Here Palladio has evidently updated
22. Zorzi, "I disegni delle opere palladiane," 12-17.

21. E. Forssman, Palladios Lehrgebaude, Uppsala, I965, 173-I75. 23. Puppi, "Dubbi e certezze," 93-94.

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2z8 JSAH, XXXIX:3, OCTOBER 1980
Palladio's own buildings-site problems, the materials used, and the In Venice there was a steady market for the treatise for two centuries
functions of different rooms. after Palladio's death. It must be remembered that copies were bought
Laying aside errors obviously due to careless preparation, editing, or there by visitors as well as by Venetians, so that the influence of the
printing, the real value of the Quattro Libri is as a reflection of Palladio Venetian editions extended far afield. The first four reprints in 1581,
as a critic of his own work. Neither graphic nor written descriptions can i6oI, I616, and I642 used the original wood blocks, but the quality of
be taken literally. Yet when compared with the actual buildings they the plates naturally deteriorated with each printing. In the I 8th-century
throw light on Palladio's search for a complete architectural system. For editions, the original woodcuts were replaced by copperplate engrav-
the sake of the books' internal stylistic consistency and didactic function, ings, some more accurate than others. With their finely etched details
external conditions were eliminated whenever these led to compromise these were more precise but less dramatic than Palladio's boldly con-
solutions. Thus Palladio's own specific experiences were translated into ceived woodcuts.26
a series of ideal models for more general application. He obviously saw Among the more interesting Venetian editions was that produced by
his treatise as a work of art in its own right, and it was perhaps his the Vicentine architect Francesco Muttoni, with an accompanying French
greatest single achievement. translation. This was incorporated into a larger study of Palladio's
In addition to the two little guides to Rome and the Quattro Libri, architecture, published in four volumes between 1740 and 1748, which
Palladio was involved in the preparation of three modern editions of will be discussed in the next section of this essay.27 The plates of
classical writings. It is well known that he provided the illustrations for Muttoni's edition were expertly engraved by Giorgio Fossati, himself an
his patron Daniele Barbaro's Italian edition of Vitruvius, published in architect. The more obvious errors were corrected in the process, for
556. Less familiar are his illustrations of classical military combats. In example, providing doors to the inaccessible rooms marked "Q" in the
1575 Palladio published his own edition of Caesar's Commentaries, Private House of the Greeks (Book II, chapter xi). Some changes in the
with plates executed by two of his sons, Leonida and Orazio, before their page layouts were made for the sake of clarity, but with some loss of
early deaths in 1572; the book was dedicated to their memory. For this originality. These included the arrangement of the various types of stairs
edition Palladio used a well-known Italian translation, but added two on separate pages in place of Palladio's striking double page spread (Fig.
introductory essays; in one he mentions that in his youth his notice had 2), and the separation of the plan and elevation of the Villa Pisani at
been brought to the subject of ancient warfare by GianGiorgio Trissino. Bagnolo. Nevertheless, Palladio's visual conceptions were reproduced
Palladio also planned to publish his own edition of Polybius. Until with absolute fidelity (that is, fidelity to the treatise, rather than to the
recently nothing was known of this enterprise apart from a letter to the existing buildings). As in other I8th-century editions, raking sunlight
Grand Duke of Tuscany, to whom the book was to be dedicated. was used to add relief and contrast to the otherwise greyish look of the
However, the engraved illustrations, together with a manuscript draft of copperplate medium.
an introductory note, have now come to light. In a recent article Hale has Muttoni's edition is now rare, and therefore presumably had a fairly
suggested that Palladio's aim in these essays on military strategy was to restricted influence. However, another remarkable I8th-century Vene-
press for the reorganization of modern armies on the lines of classical tian edition seems to have been more widely dispersed. Goethe was one
military practice. Palladio believed such reforms would help to restore of those who acquired a copy, bought in Padua in I786.28 This was the
the order and discipline of the classical way of life.24 edition published in 1768 by Pasquali as a facsimile of the original
The significance of these publications in the present context is to version. The publisher's name is given as de' Franceschi and the date as
demonstrate the degree of erudition which Palladio acquired during the 1570, but the reprint is easily distinguished from the original by its
course of his life. That the son of a Paduan miller, apprenticed as a copperplate illustrations. The publication of such an exact reproduction
stonemason, should have come to be respected as an authority on the seems to have been sponsored-in the interests of authenticity rather
literature of the ancients, even in a field only loosely connected with his than forgery-by the English art collector Consul Joseph Smith, one of
own, is evidence of the influence of his learned patrons, especially the chief promoters of Palladianism in I8th-century Venetian artistic
Trissino and Barbaro, and of his own considerable intellectual ability. circles.29
The Quattro Libri were eventually translated into a number of other
Reprints, Revisions, and Translations of the Quattro Libri
languages, but the promptness, accuracy, and completeness of the trans-
Palladio's impact can be seen in buildings throughout the Western lations varied greatly from one country to another. It should of course be
world. Nevertheless, only a minority of the architects who succumbed to remembered that the direct style of Palladio's Italian was relatively easily
his influence ever visited Vicenza, or even Venice or Rome. Even fewer understood by foreigners, particularly those with a classical education.
travelled in search of his widely scattered, isolated Veneto villas. The Thus Book I, the book on the orders and techniques of building, was
principal medium for the spread of knowledge of Palladio's work and published in Spanish as early as 625, but no further editions were issued
ideas was, of course, the Quattro Libri dell'Architettura. No complete in Spain until the complete translation in Catalan in 1797, for Spaniards
catalogue exists of the numerous editions and translations made since could obviously use the Italian text.30
the original publication of the treatise by de' Franceschi in Venice in Palladio's Book I was first published in French in 1645, in the some-
570. A brief account of the best known versions will be given here, for what fanciful version by Le Muet, who had already translated Vignola's
they form the background to the spread of Palladianism to different treatise.31 This translation was reasonably faithful to Palladio's text in
countries at different times.25 the opening chapters dealing with the orders. However, in the later part,
Le Muet substituted his own explanation of the differences between
24. J. R. Hale, "Palladio, Polybius and Caesar," Journal of the War-

burg and Courtauld Institutes, XL, 1977, 240-255. Hale discovered in
the British Museum a mock-up of Palladio's book, with its manuscript 26. L. Puppi, "Bibliografia e letteratura palladiana," in the catalogue
introduction and the engravings interleaved with an earlier Italian printed of the Mostra del Palladio, Vicenza, 1973, I76-178.
edition. Copies of the same engravings had already turned up in Venice 27. F. Muttoni, Architettura di Andrea Palladio Vicentino, 4 vols. (8
in a book published under the title Ordini della militia romana by tomi), Venice, 1740-1748, first 2 vols. listed as by "L'architetto N.N."
Giovanni Franco in 1573 (C. Marciani, "Ancora su Francesco Patrizio e 28. J. W. Goethe, Italian Journey (1786-1788), trans. W. H. Auden
Giovanni Franco," Bibliofilia, LXXII, I970, 303-3I3). I am grateful to and E. Mayer, Harmondsworth, 1970, 70.
Bruce Boucher for drawing my attention to these two articles. Palladio's 29. Puppi, "Bibliografia e letteratura," 178, cat. no. 17. On Consul
dedication and two introductory essays for his edition of Caesar's Com- Smith's interest in Palladio see W. Barcham, "Canaletto and a Commis-
mentaries are published in Abate A. Magrini, Memorie intorno la vita e sion from Consul Smith," Art Bulletin, LIX, 1977, 383-393.
le opere di Andrea Palladio, Padua, 1845, docs. XIV, XV, and XVI. 30. Puppi, "Bibliografia e letteratura," I78, cat. no. 20.
25. See L. Puppi, 'I1 Trattato del Palladio e la sua fortuna in Italia e 3 1. J. P. de Montclos, "Palladio e la theorie classique dans l'architec-
all'estero," Bollettino CISA, xII, 1970, 257-272. ture francaise du XVIIe siecle," Bollettino CISA, xII, 1970, 98-99.

202.119.43.222 on Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:43:27 UTC
BOOK REVIEWS Z29
French and Palladian architectural practice, and added illustrations of in Europe, comparatively few translations of the Qua
Elsewhere
modern French designs for doors and windows. This version-an Libri inter-
appeared. A version in French was issued in Amsterdam in 1
pretation rather than a translation-was extremely successful.reflecting
It wasthe interest in Palladianism in the Low Countries at
reprinted many times in France and also became well known in other
time.38 In Germany Palladio's influence was little felt, and as a resu
parts of Northern Europe. complete German translation exists to this day. The first two bo
Le Muet's edition served the needs of builders, but it did not suit theinto German from Fr6art's French edition by the arch
translated
rational thinking of the French intelligentsia of the time. Consequently a
Georg Andreas Boeckler, were issued in 1698, but they were prob
new translation, both faithful and complete, made by Poussin's
not afriend
success. In the preface Boeckler promised to publish the
remaining
Fr6art de Chambrai, was published in Paris in 1650, only five years after books if the enterprize was well received, but he neve
that of Le Muet.32 In Fr6art's version even the illustrationsso.39 The progress of Palladianism to Russia was even slower
reproduced
Palladio's with strict accuracy, although the engravings were of medi-
Palladian style reached its climax there as late as the last two decad
ocre quality. This edition was the product of the artistic milieu of the
the i8th century. (Quarenghi was invited to St. Petersburg in 177
Superintendent of Buildings, Sublet de Noyers, founder ofRussian
the French
version of Book I of the Quattro Libri, prepared by th
Acad6mie Royale de l'Architecture in 1671. Predictably, ladian
it wasarchitect
less Nicola L'vov, was eventually published in I798.4
popular than Le Muet's version among the majority of French builders,
nally, we should remember that the task of translating Palladio's trea
who had a penchant for Mannerist flamboyance and, later,is for Rococo
still in hand-for instance, a Romanian edition was publish
elegance. But, paradoxically, even this accurate version of Palladio's
Bucharest in 195 7.41
The pattern
Quattro Libri failed to satisfy French academic circles in their search for of diffusion of Palladio's Quattro Libri correspo
a strictly classical, rational theory of architecture. The discussions of the
broadly to the spread of the Palladian style of architecture, but the w
newly founded academy were scornful of Palladio's inconsistencies
in whichand
the treatise was received and understood varied greatly.
mate,
his free interpretation of the rules of the ancients, although the local artistic traditions, social structure, prevalent intelle
superiority
of his treatise over those of other theorists was generally recognized.33
ideas, and even religious background-all affected the degree of ac
Like their French counterparts, English builders of the I7th tancecentury
of Palladianism abroad.
consulted Italian architectural treatises, but as in France they French
foundacademic
the critics, like Boeckler in Germany, claimed that Pal-
more fanciful ideas of Serlio, Vignola, and Scamozzi more ladio's schemes were ill suited to the cooler northern climate. The roofs
congenial
than the lessons of Palladio. The chief exception was Inigo Jones,
were toowhose
flat, the provision for fireplaces and chimneys inadequate, and
intensive study of Palladio's treatise and of his actual buildings is at- too large.42 Meanwhile in England, which was hardly any
the windows
tested to by his own annotated copy of the Quattro Libri, nowPalladianism
warmer, in was embraced wholeheartedly. Just as some theo-
Worcester College, Oxford.34 logians select Biblical texts to support their own views, ignoring incon-
An English version of Palladio's Book I by Godfrey Richards sistencies was
elsewhere in the Scriptures, so the English Palladians adapted
published in London in 1663, but the plates and the later part Palladio's
of the text
doctrines to suit their own purposes and practiced his ideas
were drawn from Le Muet's French edition of 1645, with the addition of
with near religious fidelity. Even the Russians came to accept Palladianism
some English designs and ideas as well. Like Le Muet's version,
with onlytheminor modifications. For instance, L'vov quite sensibly sug-
Richards translation ran to numerous editions, serving as a builder's
gests that Palladian symmetry, with doors aligned along one axis, could
handbook and catalogue of motifs, rather than providing a lead to cold drafts in winter.43
comprehen-
sive architectural discipline.35 In the I8th century, Palladio's villas-dignified country residences
The first complete English translation of the Quattro Libri
and did not farms all in one-had much to offer patrons and architects
working
appear until over a century after Inigo Jones's pioneering bothstudies of and later in Russia, where social changes encouraged
in England,
Palladio's architecture. This was Giacomo Leoni's famous edition,
wealthyfirst
upper class landowners to settle on their estates. By contrast,
published in installments in 17i6-17z0. As Wittkower has demon-
society in France and Germany at the time was less suited to Palladio's
strated, this publication, though beautifully produced, strayedconceptions.
far from
Palladio's original version. Indeed, Leoni made no apology forThethe fact,
subject is complicated by the fact that Palladio's treatise itself
boasting that "the Work may in some sort be rather considered
offered aas anrange of interpretations, despite his attempts to unify the
wide
Original, than an Improvement." The illustrations were freely
stylemodified
and content. Thus, as we have seen, French classicists disapproved
by Leoni in a more Baroque vein, with the addition of aofdramatic
Palladio's Mannerist touches, while Lord Burlington and the English
frontispiece designed by his compatriot Sebastiano Ricci, who saw
Palladians wasthe Quattro Libri as a textbook in classical orthodoxy. It
probably also responsible for the book's spurious portrait ofhas
Palladio.36
been suggested by Forssman that Palladio's architecture was espe-
The i8th-century English Palladian movement immediately recog-in Northern Europe because it satisfied the Protestant
cially popular
nized the need for a more reliable version of the Quattro Libri. Colen
predilection for simplicity and reason.44 Yet the Quattro Libri contain
Campbell, the author of Vitruvius Britannicus, set out to satisfy
much thatthis
is irrational, and in any case, Protestant countries were not
need, but managed to produce only Book I before his death ininI729.
unified their response to Palladio.
Finally, in 1738, probably with the encouragement of Lord Burlington,
Such relationships are extremely complex, but they are worth con-
Isaac Ware published what is still today the most accurate, complete
sidering here as they form the background, not only to editions and
English translation of Palladio's treatise, with engravings faithfully
copied from the original woodcuts.37
38. Puppi, "I1 Trattato," 263; and E. Forssman, "L'interpretazione

dell Palladio nei Paesi dell'Europa del Nord," Bollettino CISA, xn,
32. Montclos, "Palladio e la th6orie classique," 99-o00. 1970, I56ff.
33. Montclos, "Palladio e la theorie classique," I00-104. 39. G. Schweikhart, "L'edizione tedesca del Trattato palladiano,"
Bollettino
34. B. Allsopp, ed., Inigo Jones on Palladio, 2 vols., Newcastle, CISA, xii, 1970, 273-29I.
1970.
35. R. Wittkower, "English Neoclassicism and Palladio's 40.Quattro
M. Il'in, "I1 classicismo russo e il palladianesimo," Bollettino
Libri," Palladio and English Palladianism, London, 1974, CISA,76-78. XII, 1970, 183-205.
36. Wittkower, "English Neoclassicism," 79-85. 41. A. Palladio, Petru Carti de Arhitectura, trans. R. Bordenache,
37. Wittkower, "English Neoclassicism," 86-90. By about I720 1957.
Bucharest, the
Palladian takeover in England was so complete that the Italian late "Palladio e la theorie classique," 103; Schweikhart,
42. Montclos,
"L'edizionecom-
Baroque architect Alessandro Galilei failed to acquire any notable tedesca," 282.
missions and returned disillusioned to Italy (see J. Hook, The 43.Baroque
Il'in, "I1 classicismo russo," 187.
Age in England, London, I976, 50-5I). 44. Forssman, "L'interpretazione del Palladio," 156.

202.119.43.222 on Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:43:27 UTC
230 JSAH, XXXIX:3, OCTOBER 1980
Fig. 3. Francesco Muttoni, Architettura di Andrea Palladio Vicentino,

Venice, 1740-1748, volume III, plan of the church of the Redentore,
Venice.
translations of the Quattro Libri, but also to the first new studies of
Palladio produced during the Age of the Enlightenment, which will be
discussed in the next section.
8th-Century Neo-Palladian Literature
Palladio's treatise was so cogent and authoritative that a century and a

half elapsed after the architect's death before anyone seriously questioned
its reliability. Most foreigners had to depend exclusively on the Quattro
Libri for their knowledge of Palladio. By contrast, in the Veneto the
architect's own buildings were always at hand to remind and inspire
artists and critics alike. It is therefore not surprising that the first attempt
to highlight the discrepancy between the Quattro Libri and the buildings
themselves should have come from the Veneto. In the I8th century
Venice, like England, was the scene of a vigorous Palladian revival, Fig. 4. Francesco Muttoni, Andrea Palladio, volume ii,
stimulated by cross currents of influence between the two countries. And proportions of the Doric order according to various authors.
in the Age of Reason Palladianism, like any cultural movement, needed
intellectual justification.
The first attempt to produce a more objective study of Palladio's book allow greater artistic freedom than a full sized building. (Similarly,
architecture was the ambitious series of volumes L'Architettura di An- the style of the title page of Palladio's own Quattro Libri, with its broken
drea Palladio Vicentino published between 1740 and 1748 by the Vicen- pediment [Fig. i], conflicts directly with the content of the treatise.)
tine architect Francesco Muttoni (I668-1747). This work has already In retrospect, Muttoni's most important contribution was the publi-
been mentioned in the previous section of this article because it includes cation in his first volume of a number of surveys of Palladio's domestic
a faithful reproduction of the Quattro Libri with a parallel French buildings as built. For instance, the early Villa Godi at Lonedo is shown
translation. Muttoni died before he could complete the project, but his exactly as constructed, for the highly idealized Quattro Libri version
achievement was formidable, despite the somewhat confusing arrange- would have been inconceivable on the steep hillside site. In other ex-
ment of the four volumes comprising eight tomi. The first two volumes amples, such as the Convento della Carita, the whole of the Quattro
were published anonymously as the work of "l'architetto N.N.," butLibri scheme is shown, but the executed part is shaded so that one can be
Muttoni identified himself in the third volume, hoping thus to attractin no doubt how much existed in Muttoni's time. And in the section of
further information from the public. the Villa Rotonda the high, rounded dome shown in the Quattro Libri is
Fossati's engravings, which illustrate the books, are of the highest shown as an alternative to the much lower roof which was actually
quality, especially the surveys of previously unpublished buildings suchbuilt.45
as the Redentore and San Giorgio Maggiore (Fig. 3). These excellent Two decades later, in I76z, a second pioneering study, also written by
plans, sections, and elevations are discretely enlivened by delightfula professional architect, was published in Venice. This was Tomaso
groups of putti, playing with surveying instruments, bearing scales inTemanza's life of Palladio, which was later included in his Vite dei pii
Vicentine feet, or pointing out the orientation. celebri architetti e scultori veneziani, a volume of unillustrated biog-
The illustrations show that Fossati and Muttoni were firmly rooted in raphies in the tradition of Vasari. Temanza based his lengthy account on
Baroque traditions, though this in no way affected their great respect for extensive reading and documentary research. The tone can be irritat-
Palladio. The whole of volume ii consists of a comparative presentation ingly pedantic and dogmatic at times, but Temanza's critical comments
of the orders according to various authors-Vitruvius, Vignola, Serlio, are elegant and pertinent. Thus he writes of San Giorgio:
Palladio, and Scamozzi. The plates are contained within elaborate Ba-
roque surrounds with swaying curves, broken pediments, cartouches,
and flaming urns (Fig. 4). These flamboyant frames show little affinity
with Palladio's own style, but we should remember that the pages of a 45. Muttoni, L'architettura, I, plates XLIII-XLIV, XI, and III.

202.119.43.222 on Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:43:27 UTC
BOOK REVIEWS 231
Fig. 5. Bertotti Scamozzi, Le fab-

briche e i disegni di Andrea Palladio,
Vicenza, 1796 ed., section of the
Villa Barbaro at Maser.
La simplicita degli ornati, e l'unita, che dall'intessuto delle parti

built, at an angle to the main axis, rather than perpendicular to it as in
the treatise; but the whole vast Quattro Libri scheme is illustrated
mirabilmente risulta, spira, da per tutto, una maesta, che sorprende.46
(The simplicity of the decoration, and the unity which results miracu-behind it, although in view of the cost this could hardly have been a
feasible proposition. In the case of the Villa Godi, the gulf between the
lously from the interrelationship of the parts, radiates an astonishing
majesty throughout.) treatise and the actual building defeated Bertotti, and he resorted to
printing both the actual elevation and the Quattro Libri version side by
It is not surprising to detect a certain bias toward academic correctness
side.48
in the opinions of an author who was also a professor of architecture at
Bertotti's critical standpoint was that of a Neoclassical purist. (In the
the newly founded Venetian Accademia di Belle Arti. For instance he
Veneto the Palladian revival had transformed itself effortlessly into
reproves Palladio for the weakness of the ends of the Palazzo Valmarana
Neoclassicism.) Although he had taken the name Scamozzi when he was
facade (Fig. 6).47 Above all, Temanza's work is valuable as the first
chosen by his patron the Marchese Mario Capra as the heir to Vincenzo
major attempt to unearth more biographical and historical information
Scamozzi's estate, he had far more respect for Palladio than his predeces-
about Palladio's whole career-his life, his wide ranging professional
sor.49 He disapproved strongly of the
activities (including bridge-building, theater designing, and giving tech-
nical advice), and his writings. ... cattivo gusto de' Borromini, e de' Pozzi, uomini che si lasciano
The third important 8th century study of Palladio to spring from the trasportare troppo lunghi dal retto sentiero dal fervore della loro
Veneto was Le fabbriche e i disegni di Andrea Palladio by Ottavio fantasia.50
Bertotti Scamozzi, published in Vicenza in four volumes between I776 (... bad taste of those like Borromini and Pozzo, who allow them-
and 1783. This was a brave attempt to render Palladio's work "reason- selves to be carried too far from the straight and narrow by the fervor
able," to satisfy the dictates of the Age of Reason. Bertotti Scamozzi of their imaginations.)
concentrates exclusively on Palladio's buildings-the works in Vicenza,
Similarly, like Temanza he disliked unorthodox features in Palladio's
the villas, and the churches. Like Muttoni he publishes churches that are
buildings, such as the windows which pierce the upper architrave of the
now known to have been wrongly attributed, such as San Marcuola in
Loggia del Capitaniato.51
Venice; and he also freely includes villas by followers or imitators of
The scope of Bertotti's work is primarily descriptive. The book has the
Palladio if he considers that they set a good example to others. The
layout of a catalogue, yet chronology and patronage are scarcely men-
plates, engraved by Bertotti's students, are more sober in style than those
tioned. And although the book is entitled Le fabbriche e i disegni... he in
of Muttoni, although some of the illustrations of villas have engagingly
fact knew few of Palladio's drawings apart from the San Petronio
light touches, such as the oval landscape scenes in the cross sections of
projects and the bath drawings published by Lord Burlington in 1730
columns (Fig. 5).
Bertotti Scamozzi's declared aim is to reconcile the differences be- and reissued by Bertotti himself in Vicenza in I785.52 (The majority of
Palladio's surviving drawings were by this time in England in the Devon-
tween Palladio's theory and practice. Thus he tries to correct incon-
sistencies in the measurements given in the Quattro Libri by basing all
the dimensions on those of the actual buildings. In principle all the
supposedly unfinished schemes are shown as complete, using the Quat-48. B. Scamozzi, Le fabbriche e i disegni di Andrea Palladio raccolti ed
tro Libri versions as a guide, but unlike Muttoni, Bertotti makes illustrati,
no 4 vols., Vicenza, 1776-1783, I796 ed., I, plates II, xiv, and xx.
distinction between the executed and unexecuted parts. In the case of the 49. See F. Franco, "Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi," Bollettino CISA, v,
Palazzo Valmarana for instance (Figs. 6 and 7), the facade is shown as1963, 152-161; F. Barbieri, "L'interpretazione grafica del Palladio da
parte del Bertotti Scamozzi e le sue consequenze," Bollettino CISA, xn,
1970, 140-1 54; F. Barbieri, Illuministie Neoclassicia Vicenza, Vicenza,
1972; and L. Olivato, Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi, Vicenza, 1975.
46. Temanza, Vite, 3I0. See also N. Ivanoff, "Tomaso Temanza," 50. B. Scamozzi, Le Fabbriche, I, 27.
Bollettino CISA, v, 1963, zoz-z I. 5 . B. Scamozzi, Le Fabbriche, I, 68.
47. Temanza, Vite, 320. 5z. See fn. 14.

202.119.43.222 on Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:43:27 UTC
I6 L I B R O
H A N N O ancho nella fo-

pradetta Citta i Conti Valmara-
na Gentilhuonini honoratifsimi
per proprio honore , & comm(c-
do, & omamento della loro pa-
tria fabricato fecondo i difegni,che
feguono: nella qual fabrica efsi non
mancano di tutti quegli omatnenti,
che fe lericercano, come ltuccli, e
pitture . E quefta cafa diuila in
due pati dalla corte di mezo:in-
tomo la quale e vn Corritole,6 Pog
giuolo,che porta dallapare dinan-
zi a quella di dietro. Le prime
ftanzefono in uolto:le feconde in
folaro, e fono quefte tanto alte,
quantolarghe. IlGiardinochefi
troua auanti che fi entri nelle ftalle;
emoltomaggiorediquel ch'egli e
fegnato: ma ha fatto coi picciolo
perchealtramente ilfoglio non fa-
riaftatocapace dieile ftalle, e cofi
dituttele parti. Etantobaltiha-
uerdetto di quefta fabrica, effen-
do che, come ancho nelle altre, ho
pofo ne i difegni le mifure della
grandezzadi ciafcuna prte.
IL DISEGNO in forma
grande, che fegue, di meza la
tacciata.
Fig. 6. Andrea Palladio, Quattro

Libri, book II, plan of the Palazzo
Valmarana, Vicenza.
FRA MOLTI
shire collection at Chiswick House.) Nevertheless his "rationalized"

Bertotti Scamozzi were too close to their subject, and too well ver
depictions of Palladio's architecture have commanded respect theever
classical
sincerules of architecture, to sense the pictorial quality
as an intellectual achievement in their own right. buildings. They shared some of the clarity of thinking of the A
Muttoni, Temanza, and Bertotti Scamozzi were all trained Enlightenment,
as archi- but they lacked the intensity of feeling of the
tects, but one of the i 8th century's most eloquent critics of German poet.
Palladio was
not a professional architect. He was Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who
The Igth-Century Response
visited the Veneto in 1786. His account of his experiences, the Italian
Journey, shows that to see Palladio's architecture with his ownTheeyes
I9thwascentury was not so much a period of reaction a
Palladio on
one of his primary aims.53 Within hours of his arrival in Vicenza as 19
one of lack of interest. The most extreme, academi
September he had already seen the Teatro Olimpico and classicist's
several otherview of Palladio had been expounded by Milizia towar
buildings by Palladio. He visited Bertotti Scamozzi in end of the
Vicenza andi8th century. "Ecco il piu grande architetto da Augu
bought the Consul Smith facsimile of the Quattro Libriqua," he wrote
in Padua. In in his Memorie degli architetti antichi e modern
lished
Venice he acquired a copy of Vitruvius to back up his studies in Bassano in I785. At the same time he criticized Pallad
of Palladio
(but admitted that he found it heavy going!). And above all failing to recognize the improprieties in ancient Roman architec
he looked
long and hard at the buildings. Gradually, in the early i9 th century, this image of Palladio began
as Neoclassical
Goethe was gifted with an unusually clear and inquiring mind, as well architects all over Europe turned to the ancient G
for the
as with the sensitivity of a poet. The former gave him insight severe
into the style they were seeking. Meanwhile the Gothic reviv
was the
practical and intellectual problems faced by Palladio, while beginning
latter to gather momentum. Only in the Veneto did Pa
artistic legacy
impressed on him the magic of the buildings in their context, like continue to sustain a certain interest in his work.
ephemeral visions in the warm Italian sun. critics and architects such as Cicognara and Selva began to va
artistic imagination as well as his academic correctness.56
Palladio was a great man, both in his conceptions and in his power of
It was the architect's native city which saw the publication of the
execution. His major problem was that which confronts all modern
monograph on Palladio to appear during the whole of the Igth ce
architects, namely, how to make proper use of columns in domestic
This was the Abate Antonio Magrini's Memorie intorno la vita e l
architecture, since a combination of columns and walls must always
di Andrea Palladio, issued in Padua in 1845. Magrini's study
be a contradiction. How hard he worked at that, how the tangible
Temanza's, was primarily an unillustrated, historical work, ba
presence of his creations makes us forget that we are being hypnotized!
archival research of fundamental importance. The text is even l
There is something divine about his talent, something comparable to
and more rambling than Temanza's, a single chapter of 348 page
the power of a great poet who, out of the worlds of truth and
no obvious chronological or topical arrangement! And Magrin
falsehood, creates a third whose borrowed existence enchants us.54
remarkably little attention to most of Palladio's actual buildings.
It needed the detached eye of a foreigner and the heart of a romantic to
pinpoint this aspect of Palladio's achievement. Muttoni, Temanza, and
55. See R. Pane, "La storiografia palladiana dell'eta neoclassi

Bertotti Scamozzi a Magrini," Bollettino CISA, I, 1959, 64-68.
53. Goethe, Italian Journey, 63ff. 56. See L. Puppi, "La storiografia ottocentesca e il Palladio," B
54. Goethe, Italian Journey, 64. tino CISA, xII, I970, 307-3 0.

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BOOK REVIEWS 233
Ta"XX mn tive, but he sometimes allows a glimmer of Romantic thinking to pene-

trate his writing, claiming for instance:
Un uomo come il Palladio non dovea abbisognare di grandi studii per

riuscir nell'architettura; bastava che la scintilla accendesse il foco
divino che teneva nascoso.60
(A man like Palladio had no need of extensive studies in order to

succeed in architecture. Only a spark was needed to light the divine
fire hidden inside him.)
Finally we should remember that in the Veneto, Magrini was not

alone in his fervent admiration for Palladio. In 1845, the year of publi-
cation of his Memorie, the Comune of Vicenza erected a monument to
their greatest architect in the town cemetery, and in a solemn ceremony
transferred Palladio's bones to his new grave.61
At the opposite end of the wide spectrum of 19th-century taste stands
Ruskin. His dedicated study of Venetian architecture, The Stones of
Venice, published in i851-1853, scarcely mentions Palladio, and then
only in the most derogatory terms:
... the harm which has been done by Claude and the Poussins is as
nothing when compared to the mischief effected by Palladio, Scamozzi
and Sansovino.62
Ruskin was scandalized by San Giorgio, the only one of Palladio's works
to earn a mention in his Index of Venetian Buildings in Volume III of The
Stones. He disapproved of the giant order breaking through the smaller
order, and regretted the absence of color, concluding:
It is impossible to conceive a design more gross, more barbarous, more

childish in conception, more servile in plagiarism, more insipid in
result, more contemptible under every point of rational regard.
He added:
The interior of the church is like a large assembly room, and would
have been undeserving of a moment's attention, but that it contains
some most precious pictures.63
Ruskin's account of the Roman Renaissance in the same volume makes
clear that it was not so much the form of Renaissance architecture which
Fig. 7. Bertotti Scamozzi, Andrea Palladio, plan
he disliked, as theof the of a style modelled on the buildings of
immorality
Palazzo Valmarana. pagan antiquity. After giving brief grudging recognition to the few
Renaissance buildings which he respected (including Palladio's Basilica
348 pages only about six refer to the villas and palaces, and these only in
in Vicenza), his account then drifts into a long general discussion of sin
a very oblique manner. and immorality only vaguely related to architecture.64
Aside from such eccentricities Magrini made a valuable contribution One can only regret that Ruskin's bigoted moral views closed his eyes
to Palladio studies, abiding by his declared aim: to the magic of Palladio's Venetian churches; the medieval buildings of
Venice, those which satisfied his religious principles, drew from him
Ufficio importantissimo dello storico e quello di sceverare il racconto
degli avvenimenti dalle favole; distinguere nella vita di un person- was probably the most sensitive and eloquent criticism ever to be
what
written about the architecture of the city.
naggio le azioni certe dalle verisimili o false; in quella di un architetto
discernere le opere per esso inventate dalle altre che gli vengono
Some Early 2oth-Century Pioneers
attribuite.57
The arid Neoclassical view of Palladio, combined with the fervent
(The most important role of the historian is to separate real events
anti-classical reaction which this helped to provoke in critics such as
from fictional ones; to distinguish true actions from false in a person's
Ruskin, gradually led to the fading of interest in Palladio's architecture
life; and in the work of an architect to divide correct attributions from
in the second half of the i9th century. Meanwhile the attention of
those invented by others.) scholars turned instead to Rome and Florence.
For example, after a sober examination of the documents MagriniThe recovery after 9goo was slow and halting. The first monograph to
concluded that the Comune of Vicenza by I 571 had no real intention of a fresh viewpoint was Fritz Burger's Die Villen des Andrea Pal-
adopt
expanding the Loggia del Capitaniato along the Piazza, as Bertotti ladio, published in Leipzig in 1908. Burger's work is now so outdated as
Scamozzi had claimed.58 to be of little value, but at the time it was significant in reminding
On a critical level Magrini was eager to defend Palladio against thehistorians of Renaissance architecture of the importance of architectural
modern critics who preferred the Gothic style, pointing out that Palladio
himself had had a certain respect for the finest Gothic buildings of
Italy.59 At the time Magrini's tastes must have seemed most conserva-
60. Magrini, Memorie, 5.
6i. Magrini, Memorie, 34off.
57. Magrini, Memorie, 242. 6z. J. Ruskin, The Stones of Venice, 3 vols., London, I851I-I853, I,
58. Magrini, Memorie, i 6 ff. 24.
59. Magrini, Memorie, 3 I8ff. and Appendix doc. xi, Palladio's report 63. Ruskin, Stones, III, 301-302.
on San Petronio, Bologna, 5 July 1572. 64. Ruskin, Stones, III, 3 ff.

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developments in the Veneto. Burger was the first author to challenge A fusion of these Aristotelian tenets with Plato's conception of ideas
Bertotti Scamozzi's assumption that the Quattro Libri depicted the seems marked in Palladio's architecture; and an attentive reader will
actual buildings as Palladio intended to complete them. To reinforce this find in his Quattro Libri clear traces of this synthesis.6
suggestion he made effective use of the Burlington collection of Palladio's In his instructive account of Palladio's classical education "The architect
drawings which so far had been rarely consulted. as uomo universale," he gives credit not only to Trissino, whose role was
The first direct challenge to the Neoclassicist interpretation of Pal-
rightly stressed by earlier authors, but also to Daniele Barbaro, for
ladio was Giulio Argan's refreshing article, "Palladio e la critica neo-
introducing Palladio to classical writings and philosophy and assisting
classica," which appeared in 1930.65 Here Argan set out to show how
his studies of the buildings of antiquity. The rest of the chapter on "The
viewing Palladio through the medium of the Quattro Libri had caused
Principles of Palladio's Architecture" is devoted to the buildings them-
critics to overlook the pictorial effectiveness of the buildings themselves
selves. This is probably the least satisfactory part of the book, for the
-dazzling visions of color and light molded in dramatic spatial se- reader is left with a strong suspicion that it could have been written
quences. Argan saw Palladio not as a sober, self-controlled artist but as
without any first-hand knowledge of Palladio's architecture. In the
an expressive, even a Mannerist one. This line was developed by Herbert
section called "Palladio's Geometry: the Villas," schematized plans of
Pee in his book Die Palastbauten des Andrea Palladio (Wiirzburg,the central blocks of the villas are used to illustrate his variations on a
1939), which sought to define Palladio as one of the originators of the
single theme. However, when divorced from actual circumstances, such
Italian Baroque style.
as the presence or absence of side wings, the physical setting, and the
The valuable contribution of Andrea dalla Pozza, whose monograph
functions of the rooms, these variations alone have relatively little
Andrea Palladio was issued in Vicenza in 1943, has been sadly under-
significance. The discussion of Palladio's use of the temple front for villa
rated. In part this is due to the book's wartime paper and small murky
elevations is more enlightening. Wittkower explains how Palladio ar-
illustrations. More seriously, critics have rightly objected to certain
rived at his most unconvincing, even naive, theoretical justification of
errors of judgment which undermine one's appreciation of the rest of the
the feature, and adds pertinently: "With this unclassical transposition,
book. Dalla Pozza had two dominant ideas which he allowed himself to
the motif acquired a new vitality which he fully exploited."69 The
carry too far, one that Palladio was Vicentine in origin, despite strong
discussion of "Palaces and public buildings" brings what was at the time
documentary evidence that his parents were Padovani (since proveda much needed reminder of deliberate Mannerist touches in Palladio's
definitely by Rigoni),66 the other that Serlio was the major artistic
architecture, which had long been suppressed beneath the Neoclassical
influence on the architect's development. Yet Dalla Pozza's work should
view of Palladio. Obviously Wittkower himself had little sympathy with
be respected for his careful studies of the actual buildings and his
Mannerism as a style, commenting: "Language and patience have limits
important documentary discoveries, especially the unearthing of a mass
when describing a Mannerist structure."70 But he forgives Palladio by
of archival material relating to the building of the Basilica.
somewhat vaguely describing his unorthodoxies as free recreations of
Only five years later Roberto Pane published his own complete mono-
antique prototypes.
graph, Andrea Palladio (Turin, I948). Like the studies of Burger, Pee,
Wittkower's suggestion that Palladio's Venetian church facades were
and Dalla Pozza this too is now out-of-date, despite the appearance of a
composed as a series of superimposed or interlocking temple fronts has
revised version in I961. (The essential information contained in all these
gained wide acceptance and has also provoked some strong reactions.
books has since been incorporated into subsequent publications.) How-
Perhaps the schematic diagram of the facade of San Francesco della
ever, Pane's book was a substantial achievement at the time and is still
Vigna is the chief reason for this dissatisfaction.71 Palladio himself
valuable for the historical survey of the literature on Palladio, for its
would surely never have sanctioned the very broad, squat temple front
useful chronological summary of the artist's life, and for its illuminating
which, the diagram suggests, is implied as stretching across the whole
discussion of the relation between theory and practice in Palladio's
facade behind the giant order. The later facades of San Giorgio and the
architecture. Above all, we should be grateful to Pane for attempting to
Redentore, as Wittkower himself points out, are so sophisticated and
define Palladio's overall stylistic evolution. This is still one of the few
complex that they cannot be analyzed according to such simple criteria.
works on the architect to adopt a broadly chronological framework
In the same section Wittkower compares the progression in style from
rather than the usual typological approach.
the Palazzo Valmarana to the Loggia del Capitianato with that from San
When Rudolf Wittkower's poineering book Architectural Principles
Francesco della Vigna and San Giorgio to the Redentore. While the
in the Age of Humanism first appeared in 1949 it was given what he
unorthodox, turbulent style of the Loggia seems at first sight to have
himself called an "unexpectedly ... friendly reception."67 Its influence
little in common with the pure, graceful dignity of the Redentore,
has been enormous, and it is only now that one can begin to take stock
Wittkower should be given credit as one of the first authors to attempt to
and examine the real nature of his contribution. The book consists of
define stylistic progressions in Palladio's architecture.72
four self-contained essays, loosely connected by their emphasis on Re-
The most original and influential chapter of the Architectural Prin-
naissance architectural theory. Those chiefly concerned with Palladio
ciples is the final section on "The Problem of Harmonic Proportion in
are the last two, entitled "Principles of Palladio's Architecture" and
Architecture." This is a profound, scholarly examination of the theories
"The Problem of Harmonic Proportion in Architecture."
of musical harmony in the Renaissance, and their possible application to
Wittkower brings to the subject a formidable erudition, which he uses
architecture. The various ratios of proportions present in the harmonic
to reconstruct the intellectual framework within which Renaissance
architects operated. Perhaps the success of his often difficult, analytical
68. Wittkower, Architectural Principles, 68.
treatment of the subject has been due in part to the way in which he never 69. Wittkower, Architectural Principles, 75. In this context it is rele-
patronizes the reader, writing for instance: vant to note that Palladio believed some antique temples, such as the
Temple of Hercules at Tivoli, to be palaces (see Burs et al., Andrea
65. G. C. Argan, "Palladio e la critica neoclassica," L'Arte, xxiim, Palladio, 179).
1930, 327-346. 70. Wittkower, Architectural Principles, 85.
66. E. Rigoni, L'arte rinascimentale in Padova: Studi e documenti, 71. Wittkower, Architectural Principles, 9I, fig. 9. Howard Burns's
Padua, 1970, 324. Dalla Pozza's later articles, "Palladiana VIII- XII," insuggestion that Palladio's own drawings of classical temples in orthog-
Odeo Olimpico, iv-v, 1943-I963, are also important contributions toonal projection, when read as two-dimensional, could have inspired his
the Palladio literature. treatment of Venetian church facades, is a far more satisfactory inter-
67. R. Wittkower, Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism, pretation, H. Burs, "I disegni del Palladio," Bollettino CISA, xv, 1973,
first published as volume xix of the Studies of the Warburg Institute, I85.
London, 1949, preface to i962 revised edition (all references here to the 72. See also R. Wittkower, "Sviluppo stilistico dell'architettura pal-
1962 edition). ladiana," Bollettino CISA, I, 1959, 74-78.

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BOOK REVIEWS 2.35
scale are explained, and Wittkower then proceeds to look for examples arguable that the significance of harmonic proportion as the secret of
of these ratios in the measurements of Palladio's buildings as given in Palladio's designs has come to be vastly overrated as a result of his
Book II of the Quattro Libri. The quest is justified by the Renaissance compelling and brilliant analysis.
idea that harmonies which sound beautiful in music should look equally
Post-g959: The Proliferation of Palladio Publications
so when translated into visual components, since both architecture and
music are reflections of divine perfection. Wittkower's exposure of The past two decades have witnessed an extraordinary acceleration in
Daniele Barbaro's familiarity with harmonic proportion, revealed in the the output of books and articles relating to Palladio. In contrast to the
commentary to his edition of Vitruvius which Palladio illustrated, is the 18th-century investigations, this great burst of scholarship has no asso-
strongest evidence that Palladio himself was aware of i6th-century ciation with any Neo-Palladian architectural movement, and most of the
musical theory. Thus it is not surprising to find that several of the plans studiosi who have contributed to it are not practicing architects but
in the Quattro Libri, among them the Villa Barbaro at Maser, the Villa professional art historians. Of course, it would be true to say that the
Sarego, and the Villa Emo, are composed in ratios which clearly corre- history of art and architecture in general has flourished during the same
spond to consonances in musical harmony. period. But why should the attention of historians of architecture have
The implication of Wittkower's study is that the theory of harmonic focussed on Palladio in particular?
proportion was the chief philosophy behind Palladio's principles of Most of all, obviously, the answer depends on the very nature of
design. With the help of the simplified interpretation given by Ackerman Palladio's art, at once so complex, so sophisticated, and so influential.
in his Palladio,73 Wittkower's analysis became almost universally ac- The activities of this one man alone continue to offer the intellectual
cepted, despite the fact that the measurements of most of Palladio's puzzles and aesthetic satisfaction which, in turn, feed fruitful scholar-
actual buildings do not embody the theory at all precisely. ship and inspired criticism.
Now that 30 years have elapsed since the publication of Wittkower's This is not so much a matter of taste, although modem aesthetics have
book, it is perhaps possible to reconsider the subject more objectively. drawn attention to the striking quality of some of Palladio's more severe
Certain questions immediately spring to mind. First, if some of the abstract designs, such as the Villa Poiana at Poiana Maggiore. It is rather
Quattro Libri projects apparently reflect the theory of harmonic propor- a question of academic fashion. The new methods and interests which
tions, others contain dimensions such as 17 or 19 which cannot be fitted have come to the fore in the history of art in recent decades can be
into any known musical ratios. Second, if the theory was so central to profitably applied to Palladio's life and work. For instance, the potential
Palladio's creative processes, why is there virtually no mention of the for archival research in the field is vast. Until 20 years ago there was still
principles of proportion in the Quattro Libri? Third, if the last point can no secure chronological sequence for Palladio's main buildings, and his
be countered by the assumption that such ideas were commonplace in patrons had been little investigated. His interest in practical, functional,
the Renaissance, why do most buildings by other architects not reveal and sociological issues satisfies another line of inquiry. The drawings,
the same underlying concepts? Fourth, can it be claimed that a building now easily accessible to scholars at the RIBA in London, offer enormous
such as the Villa Emo, which as built contains musical ratios in its opportunities for research into Palladio's design processes.
dimensions, is more visually satisfying in its proportions than others? But such an intensive campaign of studies, like art itself, needs pa-
The true validity of Wittkower's premises can be tested by a careful tronage. The way in which the history of art as a whole has matured and
analysis of the dimensions of all the palace and villa projects in the acquired respectability in recent decades has attracted more scholars and
Quattro Libri,74 and by a thorough examination of Palladio's drawings better facilities all over Europe and North America. However, the main-
to see how far such concepts really governed his design processes. It spring of the encouragement and sponsorship of Palladio scholarship in
emerges from such inquiries that the practical advantage of using round, particular has been Vicenza. Still today, the city nurtures enlightened,
easily divisible numbers for the dimensions of a building combined with generous individuals like those who patronized Palladio four centuries
Palladio's instinctive sense of the balance of visual elements, may have ago.
led him almost accidentally to compose some of his buildings with In 1949, at the sixth Convegno Nazionale di Storici dell'Architettura,
musical ratios. In Wittkower's favor is the fact that Palladio evidently held in Vicenza, two members of the (still-flourishing) Accademia Olim-
did seek consciously to idealize his schemes for publication in the pica, the lawyer and distinguished Palladio scholar GianGiorgio Zorzi
Quattro Libri according to some kind of general system. However, there and the architect Fausto Franco, resolved to set up a center for Palladio
are a number of conspicuous examples among his projects in the treatise studies in Vicenza. This idea remained unrealized for almost a decade
where, with small, unimportant adjustments to the dimensions, he could until, thanks to the generous bequest of a Milanese enthusiast Vittorio
easily have achieved simple harmonic proportions had he wished to do Lombardi, the Villa Cordellina-Lombardi was made available as the
so. home of the new center. The Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architet-
tura is
One of the most intriguing questions which the subject provokes Andrea Palladio was eventually established in 1958 with local
answered in the final section of Wittkower's book, in which he discusses
funding from public and private sources and additional financial sup-
how the theory came to be almost completely forgotten within zooport from UNESCO and the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione. Fi-
years
of Palladio's death. Bertotti Scamozzi apparently rediscovered for him-
nally, in 1959 the first annual corso di architettura inaugurated the
activities of the center.76
self the existence of musical harmonies in some of Palladio's buildings.
In the preface to his Book III (first published in 1781) he commentsEvery year since that time students and scholars have gathered to
apologetically: "I present my idea in this fleeting fashion knowing full Palladio problems and to visit and study his buildings. The
discuss
well that such an idea merits judicious examination, and by a didactic
capable function of the courses has been assiduously retained, although
head."75 Wittkower certainly provided the "capable head," but it is
since the numbers of enrolled students grew too large for the small,
intimate surroundings of the Villa Cordellina, there has perhaps been
less opportunity for academic contact between experts and novices. The
names of some of today's established scholars can be found among those
of the iscritti of the early courses.
73. J. S. Ackerman, Palladio, Harmondsworth, 1966, I6off. More important in this context than the teaching of the "rudiments"
74. An inquiry of this kind has already been carried out by E. Battisti,
of Palladio is the active promotion of new research which the Centro has
"Un tentativo di analisi strutturale del Palladio tramite le teorie musicali
del Cinquecento e l'impiego di figure rettoriche," Bollettino CISA, xv,
1973, 2II-232.
75. B. Scamozzi, The Buildings and Designs of Andrea Palladio,
76. Anon, "Storia ed attivita del Centro," Bollettino CISA, I, I959,
trans. H. Burns, Trento, 1976, 68. 89-98.

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provided. For the contributors from many countries invited to give VIII. I966: i. Terzo Convegno sull'Urbanistica Veneta
lectures, the courses have acted as a direct motivation for them to ii. Palladio e l'architettura veneta del suo tempo
investigate Palladio problems and to discuss the issues among each L'architettura veneta dall'eta romana al Romanico
other. Each course concentrates on one or two main topics, related either IX. 1967: Palladio e il Palladianesimo
to Palladio and his influence or to the architecture of the Veneto in L'architettura del Manierismo e il Veneto
general. (The Centro also played a pioneering role by holding sessions on X. 1968: Palladio e il Palladianesimo
problemi di urbanistica from 1962 to I966, when urban studies were Decorazioni ad affresco e a stucco negli edifici di
still in their infancy.) The Library and Fototeca are steadily growing, and Andrea Palladio e in quelli veneti del suo tempo
so far at least, the Centro has managed to weather financial ill winds and XI. 1969: La villa: genesi e sviluppi
organizational ripples. XII. 1970: La fortuna del Palladio
That the last zo years have seen a dramatic improvement in the state of XIII. 1971: La problematica del Neoclassicismo
maintenance of Palladio's buildings, especially the villas, can also be L'architettura neoclassica nel mondo
partly attributed to the activities of the Centro. Visits by groups of XIV. 1972: Aspetti della problematica palladiana
students and intensive photographic campaigns have drawn attention to XV. 1973: Palladio 1973
the architectural importance of what were often badly neglected build- XVI. 1974: L'architettura teatrale dall'epoca greca al Palladio
ings. Public bodies, private companies, and individuals have all con- XVII. 1975: L'architettura teatrale dal Palladio ad oggi
tributed to the restoration of the architectural heritage of the Veneto. XVIII. 1976: Le chiese del Rinascimento (in press)
When I first visited many of Palladio's villas as late as 1967, the in-
The Corpus Palladianum is an imaginative and ambitious publishing
habitants of some of the more remote villages were amazed that anyone
venture, which was launched in I959 at the time of the Centro's
should be interested in "that building over there." Even since that time
foundation. Twenty volumes in the series have so far been commis-
the amount of restoration work carried out has been formidable.
sioned from scholars working in the field, each one devoted to a single
The proliferation of published work on Palladio since 1959 has been
building by Palladio. Eight have appeared, both in Italian and English
both directly and indirectly stimulated by the activities of the Vicenza
translation (the latter published by Pennsylvania State University Press).77
Centro. For the sake of clarity I shall divide these recent publications into
five categories: first, those produced by the Centro itself; second, com- I. C. Semenzato, La Rotonda, Italian 1968, English 1968.
prehensive monographs on Palladio; third, shorter, specialized studies; II. F. Barbieri, La Basilica Palladiana, Italian 1968, English 1970.
fourth, exhibition catalogues; and fifth, facsimiles of the early printed III. W. Timofiewitsch, La Chiesa del Redentore, Italian 1969,
sources. English 1971.
IV. A. Venditti, La Loggia del Capitaniato, Italian 1969,
Post-1959: The Bollettino del CISA and the Corpus Palladianum
English 1971.
The Bollettino del Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architecttura V. G. B. Favero, La Villa Emo di Fanzolo, Italian 1970,
"Andrea Palladio" contains the proceedings of each annual corso di English 1972.
architettura held in Vicenza, with the exception of the routine intro- VI. E. Bassi, II Convento della Cariti, Italian 1971, English 1973.
ductory lectures on Palladio. In every course, some lectures will obvi- VII. L. Puppi, La Villa Badoer di Fratta Polesine, Italian 1972,
ously be more inspiring and innovative than others, and all are heavily English 1975.
compressed for publication. Yet despite these limitations, the Bollettino VIII. E. Forssman, II Palazzo da Porto Festa di Vicenza, Italian, 1973,
is a rich source of ideas and information. It is significant that all the English 1979.
scholars who have made important contributions to the Palladio litera- The volumes all share the same format, consisting of a text of about
ture elsewhere are represented.
oo00 pages, together with approximately 80 black and white illustra-
The journal's high standard depends to a great extent on the diligent, tions, several color plates, and measured drawings, plans, elevations,
discriminating, and expert editing of Renato Cevese. Its usefulness as a and sections, of the buildings. The photographs are informative and
research tool is limited by the fact that, like any other periodical, the well composed. They allow Palladio's architecture to speak for itself,
individual issues have no complete index. There is also a delay of several without the interference of the arty photographic techniques which are
years between the holding of a course and the publication of the relevant so prevalent in modern Italian architectural books. The scale drawings
Bollettino. For the most part, important material published in the Bollet-
are beautifully executed, but in some cases they are so inadequately
tino has since been incorporated into other publications. But looking labelled that they can be confusing even to a reader familiar with the
back to the early volumes is still a refreshing exercise which can draw site. This problem is particularly acute in the case of the volume on the
attention to aspects of the subject which have since been overlooked. It Convento della Carita.
would obviously be impossible in this context to discuss each issue in The market for books on single works of art is so uncertain that a
detail. Instead, I list the subjects of the courses since 1959 for reference
series of this type could not succeed without generous financial backing
purposes. such as that provided by the Vicenza Centro. The lavish volumes of the
I. 1959: Riassunti delle lezioni Corpus Palladianum must be unique in modern art historical literature
Attivita del Centro which, alas, all too rarely allows the work of art itself to be the prime
focus of attention. Naturally every author in the series has a particular
II. 1960: Riassunti delle lezioni
III. I961: Riassunti delle lezioni point of view, and each building demands different treatment. The
concentration on an individual work encourages each writer to draw
IV. 1962: Palladio e il Palladianesimo
Barocco e Rococ6 nel Veneto together into a coherent whole the various aspects of the subject. It is
Problemi di urbanistica delle citta venete especially pleasing to find the interiors given their due, for like the
V. 1963: Palladio e il Palladianesimo question of later alterations and restorations, these tend to suffer ne-
I1 Neoclassicismo nel Veneto glect in more general studies. The range of titles commissioned includes
Problemi di urbanistica delle citta venete all Palladio's most notable buildings and the Centro is also planning to
issue a series of cheaper rilievi of buildings not covered by the Corpus.
VI. 1964: i. Atti del Primo Convegno sull'Urbanistica Veneta
ii. Palladio e il Palladianesimo
L'architettura del Primo Rinascimento nel Veneto
VII. 1965: i. Secondo Convegno sull'Urbanistica Veneta
ii. Palladio e il Palladianesimo 77. Volumes I-vII of the Corpus Palladianum were reviewed in this
L'architettura gotica nel Veneto journal by Myra Nan Rosenfeld,JSAH, xxxII, 1973, 335-338.

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BOOK REVIEWS 237
Of those so far published, I particularly welcome Elena Bassi's volume and complicated history of the building's execution, and he provides a
on the Convento della Carita since this exciting project, which was penetrating analysis of the genesis of the artistic idea. The difficult text
fervently admired both in Palladio's lifetime and in the Neoclassical rewards the reader's concentrated attention. It gives a perceptive assess-
period, has been badly neglected in the moder literature. Bassi exam- ment of the artistic development of Palladio up to the time of his second
ines the nature of the original scheme, and explains how much was visit to Rome in 1545-1547, just before submitting his final project for
actually built, as well as clarifying the effects of the disastrous fire of the Basilica. Barbieri emphasizes the originality and decisiveness of the
I630. It is illuminating to read how Palladio adapted the ideal of the Palladian design, underplaying the influence of Sansovino and Serlio. He
private house of the ancients to fit the needs of a medieval style monastic stresses the forceful rhythms of the arcades, acting as a visual transition
community. between the huge hulk of the old Palazzo della Ragione and the irregular
Of the volumes on villas, the Villa Emo di Fanzolo and the Villa open spaces around. And he is sensitive to the intrinsic beauty of the
Badoer di Fratta Polesine concern buildings which correspond very structure itself: ". .. in consequence of this animated articulation the pier
closely with Palladio's original intentions, as well as with his idealized is not just enveloped but permeated by light: a warm, live atmosphere
depictions in the Quattro Libri. As well as assembling known informa- which becomes an integral part of its full plastic bulk."79
tion on the patrons, dating, building history, and the functions of the
Post-1959: Comprehensive Monographs
villas, the two authors give detailed treatment of the fresco decorations
which were also executed in Palladio's lifetime. Favero's iconographical The year of the foundation of the Vicenza Centro, I959, saw another
interpretation of Zelotti's marvelous frescoes at the Villa Emo is more event of enormous significance in the history of Palladio studies, namely
convincing than Puppi's of those by Giallo Fiorentino at the Villa the publication of the first of GianGiorgio Zorzi's four books (as it were,
Badoer. Favero shows how the Villa Emo decorations reflect the pa- his own Quattro Libri) on the works of Palladio. These handsome
tron's keen interest in agricultural improvements, which was, after all, volumes were the culmination of more than half a century of research-
the raison d'etre of the whole villa. Zorzi's first article on Palladio was published in Igo8! The financial
The Rotonda, the subject of the first of the Corpus volumes, is in no subsidy needed to support the production of such specialized and ex-
sense a "typical" Palladio villa, but it was probably the most influential. pensive publications was provided by a local bank, the Banca Cattolica
Unlike the Villas Badoer and Emo, it is a villa suburbana as well as a del Veneto.
working farm, and this encourages a more purely aesthetic approach. For his huge work Zorzi chose the typological arrangement which,
Nevertheless, Semenzato tries to relate it to the actual way of life for since the publication of the original Quattro Libri, had been the conven-
which it was intended. He also examines in detail the building's relation- tional way to treat Palladio's architecture. Although Zorzi's choice of
ship with its landscape setting. Palladio was acutely sensitive to the this arrangement effectively excluded an overall view of Palladio's stylis-
physical context of his buildings, as Pevsner pointed out in 1943, but few tic development, it was certainly a wise decision. It is impossible to
other authors have so far pursued this line of investigation.78 imagine any other simple way of organizing such an enormous amount
Venditti's volume on the Loggia del Capitaniato deals with a subject of art historical, documentary, and photographic material. Indeed, the
beset with historical and stylistic problems. What exactly was the nature clarity of Zorzi's presentation is remarkable considering the size of the
of the original project, and why is it both so internally inconsistent and opus.
so out of character with the rest of the master's work? Venditti favors Each book is divided into short chapters, and each of these into
Pane's opinion that five bays were originally intended, rejecting the smaller sections. The skillful use of subheadings allows the reader to
seven bay hypothesis proposed by Muttoni and Bertotti Scamozzi. In his consult the book quickly without wasting time wading through long
critical assessment he opposes the view that the unorthodox elements in irrelevant discourses. The scope of Zorzi's volumes is essentially that of a
the design are related to Mannerist architecture elsewhere in Italy, but complete catalogue of the architect's work together with necessary
ascribes them instead to the internal "formal crisis" in Palladio's late biographical information. His approach is cautious, sober, and discrim-
period. inating. The progress of the building work, preparatory drawings, pa-
The Chiesa del Redentore also concerns a late work, but one which trons, artistic influences, and the problem of the Quattro Libri are all
differs radically from the Loggia del Capitaniato in both style and aspects that receive ample coverage. Zorzi includes all pertinent docu-
function. The debates of the Senate leading up to the the building's ments so far discovered, and a comprehensive photographic record of
foundation are revealing evidence of the exact nature of the commission. the buildings themselves, together with related drawings and other
Timofiewitsch discusses the implications of these documents and ana- graphic material. He was the first author to make a thorough study of
lyzes the plan and elevations of the church in detail. His text exposes the Palladio's drawings and to try to relate them to known buildings and
subtleties and complexities in what is at first sight so simple an artistic works of antiquity. It is unfortunately impossible in a general review of
idea. The importance of the route of the Doge's annual procession to the this kind to give Zorzi's work the detailed attention which it deserves. I
church is rightly stressed, because of the light it throws on Palladio's shall therefore confine myself to a brief summary of the content of the
sensitivity to scenographic arrangement. four volumes.
Forssman's volume on the Palazzo da Porto Festa is the first so far The first book, I disegni delle antichita di Andrea Palladio, concerns
published on Palladio's Vicentine palaces. Little is known of this patron the most difficult material, and that which is closest to the architect's
(so strikingly depicted in Veronese's portrait in the Uffizi), and the dating artistic personality. It opens with a biographical outline, including a
of the palace is uncertain. In compensation, surviving preparatory draw- discussion of his possible travels and his encounters with other artists.
ings help to unravel the evolution of the design. Forssman vigorously The hitherto neglected subiects of Palladio's handwriting and drafts-
rejects the view of Palladio as a classicist despite the architect's genuine manship, and the provenance of the surviving drawings, form a much
admiration for the works of the ancients, although he underlines the needed opening to the catalogue of Palladio's drawings from the an-
importance of the classical style as a symbol of the social status of the tique. Zorzi's attribution of a sizeable group of the drawings of an-
patron in 6th-century Vicenza. tiquities in the Royal Institute of British Architects collection to Falco-
Franco Barbieri's hefty tome on the Basilica Palladiana is, for me at netto seems to be misguided. Lotz has suggested more plausibly that
least, the most impressive volume so far published in the Corpus Palla- these drawings come from Palladio's own studio.80 The final section
dianum. The author places the project securely in its urbanistic context,
giving a much needed account of the changing appearance of Vicenza's
town center since the Middle Ages. He gives a full narration of the long 79. F. Barbieri, La Basilica Palladiana, University Park and London,
I970, 70.
80. G. G. Zorzi, I disegni delle antichita di Andrea Palladio, V
78. N. Pevsner, Outline of European Architecture, Penguin Books, I959, 9Iff; and W. Lotz, "Osservazioni intorno ai disegni pallad
1943, 6th edition, 1963, t29-zz0. Bollettino CISA, IV, I962, 6I-63.

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analyzes the formation of Palladio's style, balancing the influence of I share his reservations about the Teatro Olimpico being neither
contemporary architects in Rome and the Veneto against that of Pal- Palladio's most satisfying work nor the most characteristic example of
ladio's studies of the monuments of antiquity. Zorzi's tone is refresh- his style, as well as his enthusiasm for the often underrated Villa Godi
ingly objective and free from rhetoric. He comes to a very different, more Other critical comments are perhaps less enlightening. For instance, th
open minded conclusion from Wittkower's, admitting that he finds it Basilica is described as
difficult to detect consistent rules of proportion in Palladio's work. He
... una creatura nascente dalla piazza e ivi robustamente piantata,
defines Palladio as an "architetto asistematico," one who, in contrast to
visione insieme pittoresca e poetica di un poema di pietra ed espres-
his imitators, interpreted classical theory with surprising freedom. Zorzi sione sublime di una incantata sinfonia corale.82
is surely right to draw attention to Palladio's scenographic approach to
(. .. a creature growing out of the piazza and firmly planted there, a
building, giving the visual impact of his designs precedence over the
vision at once picturesque and poetic of a poem in stone and sublime
correct application of Vitruvian rules. The appendix on the preparation
expression of an enchanted choral symphony.)
of the Quattro Libri, with the text of known fragments of earlier drafts
of the treatise, provides valuable background material to the preceding Zorzi's four impressive volumes set new standards for Palladio schol-
discussion of theory and practice in Palladio's work. arship, providing a firm framework for further research. He succeeded in
The second volume, Le opere pubbliche e i palazzi privati di Andrea providing an encyclopedic coverage of Palladio's life and work withou
Palladio (1965), begins, like Pane's monograph, with a brief survey of "killing" the subject for a generation or more, as other art historical
the literature on Palladio since his own lifetime. The catalogue of Pal- monographs of such magnitude have so often done. To some degree his
ladio's public buildings and palaces which makes up most of this volume work is already out-of-date, but this in itself is a tribute to his achieve-
includes all projects in which the architect is known to have been ment in providing a stimulus to others. The huge quantity of information
involved in any capacity-in Friuli, Feltre, Brescia, and of course Vi- which Zorzi assembled and the accuracy and lucidity of the presentation
cenza and Venice. The volume concludes with a chapter of important will make his books indispensable reference works for years to come.
supplementary biographical information, largely gleaned from the ac- In I966, when the first two volumes of Zorzi's monograph had
count books of the Basilica. already appeared, James Ackerman's short book, called simply Palladio
In his third book, Le chiese e i ponti di Andrea Palladio (1967), Zorzi was published as part of the Pelican Books series "The Architect an
adopts similar methods, giving the background to each commission, Society." In this text of under zoo pages, Ackerman was the first modern
rejecting wrong attributions, and publishing relevant documentary ma- author to offer Palladio to the general reader and the first year student in
terial. A brief account of what little is known of Palladio's religious a book that is readable, stimulating, and perceptive. With its usefu
beliefs provides the introduction. The various bridge projects had al- sketch maps of Vicenza and the Veneto, the book at once became
ready attracted the attention of Temanza and Magrini, but it was left to valuable item in the suitcase of any educated English speaking visitor t
Zorzi to present the information in a well organized manner. the area. Making no attempt to treat the subject exhaustively, Ackerman
In the final volume, Le ville e i teatri di Andrea Palladio (1969), the was free to discuss selected aspects of Palladio; partly in response to th
villas are classified according to a series of formal types-ville ecclet- nature of the series his approach is boldly deterministic: "The time
tiche, ville con portici rettilinei, ville-palazzo, and so on. This morpho- made the man. Luckily the man was a genius."83
logical subdivision is a useful way of handling the large number of works In the first chapter, "Palladio and His Times," he gives a well rounded
involved, for the chronology of the villas is still somewhat uncertain, and account of Palladio's artistic background, justly emphasizing the in
it follows Palladio's own division of his villas between Venetian and fluence of Alvise Cornaro alongside that of Trissino. The rest of the book
Vicentine patrons. (It seems perverse to include the Villa Pisani atonce again adopts the traditional typological approach with chapters on
Montagnana in the volume on palaces rather than among the ville- the villas, civic and domestic architecture, and ecclesiastical commis-
sions. The chapter on the villas takes what was then a pioneering line, by
palazzo, despite the fact that Palladio himself treated it as a villa in the
Quattro Libri.) Zorzi's plea for better maintenance of the villas and setting the commissions in the context of the agrarian economy of th
more opportunities for scholarly visits must be warmly welcomed. The Veneto and the activities of the landowning class in the i6th century. To
section on the theaters comprises all Palladio's known theatrical involve-a certain extent the account is now outdated, as recent studies hav
ments as well as the Teatro Olimpico. The examination of Vicentine shown that Venetian investment on the terra firma began well before this
academies and the intellectual, cultural, and religious activities of thetime. But since it is still recognized that the Cinquecento was a period of
Vicentine nobility, imaginatively researched and cogently expressed,intensive agricultural improvements, the general point remains valid
contains fundamental material for the understanding of Palladio's cul- Similarly, the chapter on palaces sets the buildings in the context of the
tural background. activities and aspirations of the Vicentine nobility of Palladio's time.
The inherent disadvantage of Zorzi's method is that the most signifi- In his discussion of Palladio's ecclesiastical architecture, Ackerman
suggests that Alessi in Milan, Vignola in Rome, and Palladio in Venice
cant buildings in Palladio's oeuvre, such as the Basilica in Vicenza or the
Redentore, are given scarcely more attention than the minor works. Anywere all offering comparable solutions at the same time to the same basic
reader not familiar with the main outlines of Palladio's career would find
problem, namely, how to design churches according to the new require
ments of the Counter Reformation. However, as Ackerman himsel
it difficult to form a coherent overall view of the artist's development.
Zorzi rarely attempts detailed visual analyses of Palladio's designs, and
recognized, it is doubtful whether the spirit of the Council of Trent was
only allows himself to make the briefest of subjective critical comments.as strongly felt in Venice as in Milan or Rome. In any case, the single
His own aesthetic responses, in as far as he conveys them to the reader, nave church with side chapels has a long pedigree stretching well bac
are sensitive and warm. For example he gives a most affectionate pictureinto the I 5th century (San Giobbe in Venice is just one example).
of the Villa Emo in its setting in the That Ackerman was heavily indebted to Wittkower's Architectural
Principles is clear from the way he analyzes the separate compartment
... bella campagna veneta immersa nel sole e abbellita dalla fiorente
of the interiors of Palladio's churches and discusses the superimposed
vegetazione, fra gli alberi secolari e nell'aria lievemente profumata...
temple fronts on their facades. But he gives a far more vivid impression
(. .. beautiful Veneto countryside bathed in sunshine and enhanced by
of the actual buildings than Wittkower. His final chapter on the prin-
blossoming vegetation, among the age-old trees in the lightly scented
ciples of Palladio's architecture begins by summarizing how, accordin
air...)81 to Wittkower, Palladio used harmonic proportions-although, as w
8z. G. G. Zorzi, Le opere pubbliche e i palazzi privati di Andre

81. G. G. Zorzi, Le ville e i teatri di Andrea Palladio, Venice, 1969,Palladio, Venice, 1965, 54.
i68. 83. Ackerman, Palladio, 54.

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BOOK REVIEWS Z39
have seen, it is debatable whether most of the dimensions given in the

Palladio's patrons, add a number of important details to the information
Quattro Libri really confirm any special preoccupation with given in Zorzi's monographs. The arrangement is as far as possible
musical
harmony on the part of Palladio. When Ackerman moves on chronological,
to discuss and includes doubtful attributions as well as secure ones.
the hierarchy of parts and the importance of symmetry in Palladio's
Puppi's intellectual achievement in assembling and judiciously interpret-
architecture he is on safer ground. And his concluding paragraph ing such re-a vast amount of material is formidable. The English translation
leases Palladio from dependence on any rigid proportional system.perpetuates the few minor errors and adds a good many more, so that
Ackerman's short book is full of observant aesthetic responses any andserious student would be advised to use the Italian edition if
comments on the social, economic, and cultural backgroundpossible. of Palla-
dio's architecture. It is a pity that by his emphasis on types Ackerman,
Post-i959: Exhibition Catalogues
like Zorzi, fails to capture any sense of evolution in Palladio's architec-
ture, for he is one of our more visually sensitive critics. Unlike In most
1973 the Centro di Studi "Andrea Palladio" in Vicenza promoted
scholars, Ackerman is not afraid to make generalizations. Someanof impressive
these exhibition of Palladio's architecture in the huge hall of the
are provocative: "[Venetians] did not start palaces after 156o."84 Others
Basilica. I shall not review the exhibition itself, but the catalogue deserves
consideration
are poetic but not really meaningful: "On his late Vicentine facades, he here as a contribution to the literature on Palladio.87 The
used the orders like brushstrokes."85 But without such statements the was divided into six sections, each catalogued (with an intro-
exhibition
book would lose the originality, breadth of vision, and vigor ductory
which essay followed by separate entries on individual items) by a
characterize Ackerman's contribution. different Palladio scholar.
Lionello Puppi's handsome two volume monograph, Andrea Palladio, In the first section "Palladio e l'antichita," Erik Forssman tackles the
was published in 1973, to be followed by an English translation two problem of how to reassess Palladio's relationship to antiquity now that
years later.86 In his preface Puppi acknowledges that no author can we recognize that he was not a dry, detached antiquarian, as Neo-
produce a definitive monograph on a subject which is developing so classical critics had us believe. Palladio penetrated the spirit of antiquity
quickly. Instead his book offers a deliberately personal introduction, a more deeply than any of his contemporaries, and Forssman also suggests
lavish photographic section, and an up-dated, complete catalogue of that through his reading of Vitruvius he was able to recreate some of the
Palladio's work. qualities of Greek art. Yet, he emphasizes, both in theory and in practice
Despite the coffee table format, this is not a book for amateurs. Palladio was profoundly original, and this personal vision of Roman
Puppi's opening chapters expect of his readers an intimate knowledge of architecture was expressed in his drawings of antiquities.
Renaissance culture and architecture, and of the geography of the Ve- In the section called "Palladio e l'architettura del suo tempo," Wolf-
neto. As in all of his prolific output of books and articles, Puppi writes in gang Lotz illustrates the work of Palladio's contemporaries, not only in
seemingly interminable paragraphs and long, discursive sentences. After Rome and the Veneto, but also in Mantua, Genoa, Florence, and Milan.
a while the text begins to assume for the reader the character of a Wagner Since it is highly likely that Palladio visited Florence en route to Rome at
opera-long, unbroken, lyrical (even rhetorical) passages, with recur- least once, it is a pity not to see illustrated Giuliano da Sangallo's Villa
ring themes that are often obvious only to the expert. The result is Medici at Poggio a Caiano. This villa anticipated Palladio's use of the
impressive in the magnitude of its scope and almost hypnotic in its temple front on villas, and its symmetrical plan was also exceptional for
insistent, poetic rhythms, but it seems self-contained and remote from its time.
Palladio's buildings themselves. Renato Cevese is eminently well qualified as the author of the section
Puppi's approach, with its strong Marxist bias, is highly individual. "L'opera del Palladio." In his essay he stresses the close interdependence
His observations on the subtle distinctions among different social classes, between Palladio and Vicenza-Palladio transformed the city, but he
on the distribution of wealth, and on Palladio's relationship with his could not have done so without the enlightened patronage of the Vicen-
patrons are predicably acute. Years of experience in the archives of the tine nobility. The catalogue refers not only to the photographic exhibits
Veneto have given Puppi a remarkable knowledge of the individuals but also to the beautifully executed wooden models which were such a
who shaped the society of the time. However, Puppi carries the deter- striking feature of the exhibition. These models enabled one to study
ministic view further than Ackerman. Even in the chapters called "La Palladio's handling of the relationship between exterior and interior,
Giovinezza," "La maturita," and "La senilita," the development of and gave a more tangible impression of some of the unrealized schemes.
Palladio's visual ideas is hardly discussed. No plate references are in- Nevertheless, it can be questioned whether several of the more idealized
cluded in the text, and scarcely any dates. schemes, such as the Villa Trissino at Meledo (based on a Bertotti-
To some extent these faults are redeemed by the photographic section Scamozzian interpretation of the Quattro Libri), represented more than
with its brief explanatory captions. Diego Birelli's beautiful photo- utopian ideas which Palladio himself would have been amazed to see
graphs give an unusually romantic view of Palladio. With their explora- translated into three dimensions.88
tions of the textures of peeling stucco and crumbling masonry, they in no The section on "I disegni di Palladio" is catalogued by Howard Burs,
sense recreate Palladio's own intentions any more than Piranesi etchings who makes full use of his intimate knowledge of Palladio's graphic
represent real antiquity, but they do give a vivid picture of the buildings work. Until Burns's forthcoming catalogue of the Palladio drawings in
as they are today. And the marvelous views of scenery-the Villa Poiana the R.I.B.A. appears, this (together with the same author's article in the
just visible at the far side of a field of ripe corn, or the Villa Malcontenta Bollettino of I973, the year of the Vicenza exhibition) is the best
framed by the tall skeletons of winter trees-underline Palladio's sensi- available account of Palladio's draftsmanship and his use of drawings.
tivity to landscape, which is so often overlooked. The architect's techniques of measuring and drawing are discussed, as
In order not to dilute this rather special view of Palladio, all the plans, well as his unusual modes of representation (for instance, his combined
drawings, engravings, and additional photographic material are con- plans and elevations, and his preference for orthogonal projections after
fined to the catalogue in the second volume. This catalogue is the most about 155o). It seems that drawings were sent to patrons as sample
objective, and certainly the most useful, section of the book, though as in ideas, and the one chosen became the model used by the builder. Burns
the introduction the lengthy paragraphs make the entries dense and proposes that it was through his drawings that Palladio was able to
difficult to use. Puppi's own archival discoveries, especially concerning
84. Ackerman, Palladio, 81. 87. Catalogue of the Mostra del Palladio, Vicenza, 1973.
85. Ackerman, Palladio, 8z. 88. Puppi, "Dubbi e certezze." For a more positive assessment of the
86. L. Puppi, Andrea Palladio, z vols., Milan, 1973, trans. by P. value of the models, see R. Cevese, I modelli della mostra del Palladio,
Sanders, London, 1975. I976.

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reinterpret the local architectural tradition (especially that of. Venice)

.. the way in which he introduced proportion into his buildings w
pragmatic, and did not involve a total proportional regulation
using proportions and details derived from his study of antiquity.
The two final sections, "II Palladianesimo" by Peter Murray,every
and "La
part of the building.90
Bibliografia Palladiana" by Lionello Puppi, concern different aspects of
Burs proposes that Palladio owed his system of designing variations
Palladio's heritage-the wide diffusion of the Palladian style of archi-
particular themes, adjusted to suit different functions, to his knowled
tecture, and the vast amount of literature which his work inspired.
of Venetian architecture both in Venice and the Veneto where such
This catalogue is well illustrated and annotated, and therefore serves
highly developed building types exist. Above all, the catalogue seeks to
as a useful (though not essential) reference work. The Vicenza Mostra
show that by any standards Palladio was "one of the greatest and most
del Palladio confronted head-on the problem of how to display the work
original of all architects," who offered a completely new range of solu-
of an architect (rather than that of a painter or sculptor), and in its
tions to architectural problems, combining efficiency and beauty in an
effective use of photographs, drawings, books, wooden models, and
exemplary fashion. The whole book is pervaded by the sensitivity of
plaster casts, it set new standards for exhibitions of this kind. Through
Burs's observations, his illuminating analyses of Palladio's creative
the generosity of the Vicenza Centro the Mostra was then mounted in
processes, and the depth of his scholarship, which make it a work of
Vienna, where it was catalogued by Martin Kubelik (who, incidentally,
fundamental and lasting importance.
has added important material to our knowledge of Veneto villas through
Post-1959:
his studies of sketch views of country estates in the archives of the BeniShorter Specialized Studies
Inculti).89 The Palladio exhibition was also shown in Zurich, Paris, and
Most examinations of more restricted Palladio problems are to be
the United States.
found in short articles in the Bollettino del CISA and other periodicals.
In 1975 the wooden models were shipped to London, where they
However, the last two decades have also seen the publication of some
formed part of the major Palladio exhibition at the Hayward Gallery,
interesting shorter books which deal with specialized aspects of Pal-
Andrea Palladio 1508-1580: the Portico and the Farmyard. This was a
ladio's work (rather than with individual buildings like the Corpus
completely new exhibition, organized by Howard Burns, Palladianum).
who also
wrote the catalogue with the help of Lynda Fairbairn and Bruce Boucher.
For example, Erik Forssman's Palladios Lehrgebaude, published in
The scope of the catalogue, like that of the London exhibition itself, is
Sweden in I965, tackles the vexing question of the relationship between
boldly imaginative. It not only concerns Palladio and the internal prob-
theory and practice in Palladio's work. Did Palladio first evolve a theory
lems of his oeuvre, but it also seeks to set the architect in the context of
and then design his buildings according to these predetermined rules, or
life in the Veneto in the i6th century. This is a very difficult subject to
did he retrospectively evolve a theory to explain his building practice?
convey in an exhibition, even with the help of furniture and other
Forssman explores the three main building types-the villa, the palace,
everyday objects, and in the harsh context of the Hayward Gallery it was
and the church-examining Palladio's debt to Vitruvius and Alberti. At
only partly successful. However, it inspired Bums to write a remarkably
the time, Forssman had to rely on a very incomplete chronological
original and informative catalogue. framework which led him to select the Villa Rotonda and the Palazzo
His wide-ranging research has enabled him to bring his subject to life
Chiericati as focal examples of Palladio's style of about 550o, although
with unprecedented vividness. Thus we read how when the Vicentine
the Villa Rotonda is now known to date from I5 66- 5 69. Anticipating
noble Fabio Monza dined with Palladio in Venice in 1563 they did the
Bums, Forssman emphasized Palladio's debt to the Venetian palace type
shopping together; how 40% of the noble Council members of Vicenza
in both his villas and his palaces. (In this context we should remember
had university degrees; how 16 of the i zo tablecloths in the palace of
that Venetian domination had led to the appearance of adaptations of
Montano Barbaran were dirty; and how in 1577 the owner of Palladio's
Venetian building types on the terra firma at least as early as the 5th
Villa Godi murdered his next door neighbor in a wardrobe. On a more
century.) Forssman also points to contemporary theorists, especially
serious note, the catalogue contains valuable sections on subjects such as
Serlio and Vignola, as pioneers of the dominant visual element in archi-
money in Venice and surveying techniques, which are vital for any
tectural treatises. He explores Palladio's underrated contribution to
student of Veneto architecture, but about which very little is written.
6th-century Urbanismus, again underlining the impact of Venice, above
Because of the miscellaneous nature of the material, the catalogue is San Marco. He concludes that Palladio achieved a finely
all the Piazza
not a straightforward reference work. Entries referring to a particular
balanced blend of theory and practice, inextricably bound together. In
building may be scattered throughout the book, so that the reader is
an excursus at the end of the book Forssman attempts a stylistic defini-
heavily dependent on the index (which was absent in the first copies to be architecture, in which he comments:
tion of Palladio's
printed). However, the entries themselves are concise, up-to-date (in
Den genauen Ort Palladios im Muster des Cinquecento wird man
1975), and reliable. The six sections deal with "Vicenza," "Interior,"
nicht bestimmen konnen, ohne die besondere Rolle Venedigs zu
"Palladio," "Venice," "Villas," and "Palladio's Architectural System."
The section on interiors is welcome although, as Bums points beriicksichtigen.
out,
(One cannot determine the precise place of Palladio in the architecture
Palladio himself took no part in the design of the interior decorations.
of the Cinquecento
Otherwise the sections broadly follow the usual typological division of without considering the special role of Venice.)91
Palladio's architecture, though with special emphasis on the city environ-
Wladimir Timofiewitsch's Die sakrale Architektur Palladios, which
ments of Vicenza and Venice and their culture.
was published in Munich in 1968, is based on research carried out
The final section concerning "Palladio's Architectural System"
almostcon-
a decade earlier. He was therefore unable to incorporate material
tains a synthesis of Burs's ideas on the architect's methods of design.
from a number of important works which appeared after I960, in
Palladio's approaches to nature, building materials, site, function, pa-Zorzi's Le chiese e i ponti di Andrea Palladio. Although his
particular,
trons, and the design of details are all considered, with the help
short bookof lacks the comprehensiveness and full documentation of
comparative material on some of his contemporaries. In his analysis of
Zorzi's monograph, it is still a useful source. Timofiewitsch confines
Palladio's use of proportion, Bums rejects the Wittkower-Ackerman
himself to Palladio's three main churches, San Giorgio Maggiore, the
view of Palladio's reliance on the theory of musical harmony, concluding:
Redentore, and the Tempietto at Maser. As well as relating Palladio's
church designs to his studies of antiquity, Timofiewitsch also points to
the influence of Bramante and the Raphael-Sangallo circle. In addition,
he considers the significance of the local monastic tradition, and is the
89. M. Kubelik, "Gli edifici palladiani nei disegni del Magistrato
Veneto dei Beni Inculti," Bollettino CISA, xvI, 1974, 445-465. M.
Kubelik, Zur typologischen Entwicklung der Quattrocento-Villa imet al., Andrea Palladio, zz5.
90. Burns
Veneto, Aachen, 1975. 91. Forssman, Palladios Lehrgebaude, zoo.

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BOOK REVIEWS 24I
Conclusion
first author to demonstrate the links between San Giorgio Maggiore and
the Benedictine "Mother-Church" of Santa Giustina in Padua.92 His
The preceding discussion provokes the inevitable question: what, if
stylistic comments seek to emphasize the discrepancy between Palladio's
anything, remains to be said about Palladio? The mass of literature on
style and what he calls the "Mannerism" of Michelangelo.
the subject is so huge that fewscholars have either the time to read it all,
In her recent book Palladios Friihwerk-Bauten und Zeichnungen,
or the mental agility needed to remember its content. As a result, they
Ursel Berger offers a fresh look at Palladio's early style in the light of new
reinvent the same ideas and remake the same "discoveries" over and
material on chronology and attributions.93 She explores the influence of
over again.
the local architectural tradition-the Pedemuro workshop, the ideas of
Despite the enormous output of modem authors, the guidelines set
Trissino and Alvise Cornaro, and the buildings of Sanmicheli, Giulio
out by Zorzi in Le opere pubbliche e i palazzi privati in I965 are still
Romano, Sansovino, and Falconetto. She seeks to show how even in his
valid. He recommends that the Palladio student: (i) acquire a thorough
eclectic early work Palladio began to evolve a consistent style, based on
knowledge of the documents and early sources; (ii) examine closely the
symmetry, a respect for the orders, porticoed villas, and so on. He was
works as executed; (iii) make penetrating study of the Quattro Libri; (iv)
already learning how to relate interiors and exteriors, form and func-
look intensively at Palladio's drawings; (v) investigate the cultural back-
tion, structure and decorum. The experimental nature of his early work
ground of Palladio's time.97
is clear from the huge discrepancy in style between, for example, the
More archival work in the areas of patronage, building history, and
Villa Godi and the Palazzo Thiene. The book includes detailed, updated
the use of buildings is still necessary, as is a more profound under-
studies of the principal early works.
standing of Palladio's social and intellectual background. We should
It is curious to note that most of these shorter, specialized studies are
know more about why so many of Palladio's buildings remained un-
written in German. Possibly the rigorous German tradition of scholar-
finished. As authors such as Ackerman, Puppi, and Burns have demon-
ship has encouraged students to pursue research of this type, accurate,
strated, the recreation of the architect's artistic and historical context
thorough investigations of clearly circumscribed problems. Perhaps,
can throw light on the nature of his artistic achievement. And there is a
too, the practice in Germany of printing and circulating dissertations has
desperate need for more research into I 5th-century architecture in Ven-
developed a market for inexpensively produced books ice specifically
and the Veneto.de-
signed for academic use and without a wider appeal. In any case, serious,
These lines of historical inquiry, and the information which they have
objective studies such as these should not be overlooked in the overall
brought to light in recent decades, have clarified many aspects of our
spectrum of Palladio literature.
view of Palladio. But as in other areas of art history, the gulf between the
Post 1959: Facsimiles of Early Printed Sources historian and the critic has widened. Using the more secure historical
framework now available, new critical approaches can, in the future, be
The publication of reasonably priced editions of early printed sources
pursued with a fuller understanding of the artist in his context. For
is a gratifying outcome of the development of modern printing tech-
example, now that the chronology of Palladio's oeuvre is becoming
niques. In Palladio's case this innovation has made a number of rare but
clearer, there is a need for a straightforward description of Palladio's
important early books more widely available and therefore better known.
stylistic development in relation to that of his contemporaries. Even
Certainly the most essential to Palladio students is the excellent,
today, Palladio's drawings are too little known, and a full account of his
remarkably inexpensive facsimile of the 1570 edition of the Quattro
creative processes, as seen in his drawings, is badly needed. The ques-
Libri, published in Milan in 1968. The Dover paperback facsimile of
tions of Palladio's response to landscape and urban settings and his
Isaac Ware's English translation of 1738 should also be warmly wel-
interest in scenic effects also cry out for further investigation. (Why, in
comed. Among the other facsimiles now available, I should mention in
view of his supposed interest in the relationship of separate parts to the
particular Peter Murray's edition of Palladio's two early guides to Rome,
whole, do facades play such an important part in his domestic archi-
and the reprints of Inigo Jones's annotated copy of the Quattro Libri and
tecture, both in town and country, while the backs and especially the
Lord Burlington's edition of Palladio's drawings of Roman baths.94
sides of his buildings are of subsidiary importance and often visually
Bertotti Scamozzi's book is now available in two modem facsimiles.
unsatisfying?)
One, published in Trento and sponsored by the Vicenza Centro, has a
Obviously, it would be outrageous to expect anyone to write the
companion volume containing an English translation by Howard Burns.
ultimate "definitive" monograph on Palladio, drawing together all the
The other version, issued in London, reproduces a later edition, that of
available information and synthesizing all possible approaches. But
1796, with a very general introduction (far too superficial for the kind of
there is still room for shorter specialized or general works, and more
reader who is likely to use the book) in four languages by Quentin
publishers should be prepared to use the camera ready typescript in
Hughes.95 An edition of Temanza's Vite dei pii celebri architetti e
order to reduce the cost of such books to students. It is to be hoped that
scultori veneziani has been produced in Milan.96 Of the important early
individual scholars and critics will continue to offer us their personal
sources not yet available in facsimile, I should like to make a plea for
interpretations, for just as, in Ackerman's words, "every great architect
Daniele Barbaro's edition of Vitruvius with Palladio's illustrations.
finds his own antiquity,"98 so every great art historian finds his own
Palladio.
DEBORAH HOWARD
92. W. Timofiewitsch, Die sakrale Architektur Palladios, Munich, University of Cambridg

1968, 35-37-
93. U. Berger, Palladios Friihwerk-Bauten und Zeichnungen, Co-
logne and Vienna, 1978.
94. Murray, ed., Five early Guides; Allsopp, ed., Inigo Jones; and R.
Lord Burlington, The Fabbriche antiche of Andrea Palladio, Farn-
borough, 1969.
95. B. Scamozzi, The Buildings; and J. Q. Hughes, ed., Le fabbriche e i
disegni di Andrea Palladio raccolti ed illustrati da 0. Bertotti Scamozzi,
London, 1968.
96. T. Temanza, Vite dei pii celebri architetti e scultori veneziani, L. 97. Zorzi, Le opere pubbliche, 3-22.
Grassi, ed., Milan, 1966. 98. Ackerman, Palladio, 177.

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Four Centuries of Literature On Palladio

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Four Centuries of Literature On Palladio

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Four Centuries of Literature on Palladio

Author(s): Deborah Howard

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bibliophile, Apostolo Zeno. The manuscript, now in the Biblioteca

Palladio's Own Writings

Palladio himself left no strictly autobiographical material apart from

... e di fuori di trevertini, di forma rotonda, & di dentro di forma

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Fig. z. Andrea Palladio, Quattro Libri, book I, types of staircases.

22. Zorzi, "I disegni delle opere palladiane," 12-17.

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24. J. R. Hale, "Palladio, Polybius and Caesar," Journal of the War-

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38. Puppi, "I1 Trattato," 263; and E. Forssman, "L'interpretazione

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Fig. 3. Francesco Muttoni, Architettura di Andrea Palladio Vicentino,

8th-Century Neo-Palladian Literature

Palladio's treatise was so cogent and authoritative that a century and a

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Fig. 5. Bertotti Scamozzi, Le fab-

La simplicita degli ornati, e l'unita, che dall'intessuto delle parti

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H A N N O ancho nella fo-

Fig. 6. Andrea Palladio, Quattro

shire collection at Chiswick House.) Nevertheless his "rationalized"

55. See R. Pane, "La storiografia palladiana dell'eta neoclassi

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Ta"XX mn tive, but he sometimes allows a glimmer of Romantic thinking to pene-

Un uomo come il Palladio non dovea abbisognare di grandi studii per

(A man like Palladio had no need of extensive studies in order to

Finally we should remember that in the Veneto, Magrini was not

It is impossible to conceive a design more gross, more barbarous, more

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8z. G. G. Zorzi, Le opere pubbliche e i palazzi privati di Andre

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have seen, it is debatable whether most of the dimensions given in the

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reinterpret the local architectural tradition (especially that of. Venice)

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92. W. Timofiewitsch, Die sakrale Architektur Palladios, Munich, University of Cambridg

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