TETRIS

"Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), one of the most famous architects of all time, published two enormously popular guides to the churches and antiquities of Rome in 1554. Striving to be both scholarly and popular, Palladio invited his Renaissance readers to discover the charm of Rome's ancient and medieval wonders, and to follow pilgrimage routes leading from one church to the next. He also described ancient Roman rituals of birth, marriage and death. Here translated into English and joined in a single volume for the first time, Palladio's guidebooks allow modern visitors to enjoy Rome exactly as their predecessors did 450 years ago." "Like the originals, this new edition is pocket sized and therefore easily read on site. Enhanced with illustrations and commentary, the book also includes the first full English translation of Raphael's famous letter to Pope Leo X on the monuments of ancient Rome. For architectural historians, tourists and armchair travellers, the book offers insights into the antiquarian and ecclesiastical preoccupations of one of the greatest of the Renaissance architectural masters."--Jacket.

The Four Books of Architecture offers a compendium of Palladio's art and of the ancient Roman structures that inspired him. The First Book is devoted to building materials and techniques and the five orders of Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. Palladio indicates the characteristic features of each order and supplies illustrations of various architectural details. The Second Book deals with private houses and mansions, almost all of Palladio's own design. Shown and described are many of his villas in and near Venice and Vicenza (including the famous Villa Capra, or "The Rotunda," the Thiene Palace, and the Valmarana Palace). Each plate gives a front view drawing of the building and the general floor plan. The Third Book is concerned with streets, bridges, piazzas, and basilicas, most of which are of ancient Roman origin. In the Fourth Book, Palladio reproduces the designs of a number of ancient Roman temples. Plates 51 to 60 are plans and architectural sketches of the Pantheon.

First edition of Palladio's great work on architectural theory and design, which had a lasting influence on architectural style throughout the world.

"Five centuries after his birth Andrea palladio (1508-1580) remains the most significent figure in the history of Western architecture." "His exceptional buildings encapsulate the legacy of Italian Renaissance architectural practice while his celebrated treatise I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura, in which he articulated his theory and understanding of architecture, has guaranteed his enduring influence." "Written by the leading authorities on the architect, Guido Beltramini and Howard Burns, the emphasis is on his buildings, his ideas and the people who played a part in their development. Palladio's drawings are shown in colour, with enlargements, to enable readers to explore his way of working." "This lavish catalogue has 320 pages, 300 illustrations and measures 30 x 24.5 cms."--Jacket.