Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 7, 2004

Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture originally designed by the Italian architect Andrea Palladio. Today, any building which adheres to the rules of architecture to which Palladio subscribed is described as Palladian. This architectural style can be traced as it spread from the early 16th century in the Veneto, across Europe to buildings designed by Thomas Jefferson in North America in the late 18th century. The built and published works of Palladio follow the rules of the Roman architect Vitruvius and his later disciples, such as Leone Battista Alberti who all adhered to the classical Roman principles of architecture, as opposed to the rich ornamentation of the Renaissance. Buildings which are truly Palladian are rare, and all in Italy. They include Villa Capra and Villa Foscari and many churches in the Veneto. To explain fully the term Palladian as used outside of Italy one must first understand true Palladian as designed by the master architect (more...)

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