The greatest Italian architect Andrea Palladio, even after 500 years, remains a role model and admiration. Its influence on world architecture cannot be overestimated; the palladian style is the only one in the world that bears the name of an individual master. The master had many successes and discoveries, his life was not simple, but was harmonious, like his construction.
Family and childhood
November 30, 1508 a boy was born in the family of a simple miller in Padua, they named him Andrea, from his father he received a middle name - Pietro, and his last name - della Gondola. Times were tough for children, the poor did not have to go to school, since from childhood they had to work. Moreover, the boy remains an orphan, and he has to earn a piece of bread himself. Andrea at the age of 13 became an assistant in the workshop of a stone carver. There he will receive the first practical experience in stone processing, learned about its capabilities, which was useful to him in the future. Working conditions were slavish, and after some time Andrea escaped to Vicenza, where he arranged as an apprentice in the workshop of famous sculptors. So he falls into the circle of people who will determine his fate.
Becoming a profession
At first, he masters the profession of a stonecutter, draws up friezes and capitals. Employers help him join the masons guild, and he receives a steady income. In Vicenza, he gains access to a circle of people close to art, and draws closer to the humanist Gianggiorgio Trissino, who is imbued with the fate of the orphan and takes on the role of his mentor and patron. It is he who insists that Andrea engage in the study of monuments of Greek and Roman architecture, get acquainted with the culture of antiquity. Andrea studies the works of Vitruvius, as well as various treatises on art and architecture. He travels around Italy, inspects, sketches and even measures outstanding monuments of ancient architecture, visits Croatia and France. Trissino became the first customer of the future architect and insisted that he take a more harmonious name and become Andrea Palladio, in honor of Athena Pallas. He becomes an architect Andrea only by the age of 30, but by this time he has rich knowledge of the principles of ancient architecture.
In 1534, Trissino entrusts his ward with work on his own villa, so the first work of Palladio appears - Villa Cricoli in the center of Vicenza. The first work, as well as the many acquaintances that Andrea acquired thanks to the patronage of Trissino, open the way for the young architect to the profession.
First successes
Over the next 10 years, Andrea Palladio builds villas, it takes about 2-3 years for one building, the architect not only creates the project, but also supervises the construction of the structure and landscape design. From the very beginning of his career, Palladio implements his own principles, he adheres to the idea that the building should look whole, combining with the territory and surroundings. He carefully thought out the points of inspection of his buildings, he had a true urban vision. Since 1540, he has been receiving several orders for the creation of the palazzo in a row, which are an important step in the crystallization of the Palladio style.
In 1545, the architect wins a competition for the implementation of a project to reconstruct the town hall building in Vicenza. The old building is dilapidated and has become small for the needs of the city. Andrea offers a radical overhaul, creates two-tier arches, using the order not as part of the decor, but as an essential structural element. This allows him to create a harmonious composition of the building and increase the usable area. His beauty is closely intertwined with practicality. The building today is a UNESCO protected property and an important decoration of the city. This project makes Andrea famous, and he can claim to fulfill the most ambitious orders.
City of Andrea Palladio
The architect sought to work in the capital, but relations with Venice were difficult. Although he was able to erect several very significant buildings there. But he himself did not suspect that another city would constitute his true glory. Few architects are fortunate enough to become the progenitors of a city-planning concept. Andrea Palladio, whose biography is firmly connected with Vicenza, received such a chance. During his life he created in this city and its environs a lot of luxurious buildings that make up the glory of this place and attract tourists from all over the world. A street named after him, Corso Andrea Palladio is an exhibition of his creations. Here he was able not only to realize the talent of an architect, but also to work as the creator of the city. The layout of the street and the two main squares set by him and are designed for human perception. The structures are striking in the harmony, grandeur and thoughtfulness of the details. Vicenza became a real gift for the architect, here he was able to realize many plans, although some of them remained incomplete after his death in 1580. Some buildings were completed by his students. But in general, the city embodies the greatness of the architect, not without reason every aspiring architect seeks to Vicenza in order to see this classic with his own eyes.
The main buildings and the heritage of the architect
Andrea Palladio, whose works make up the golden fund of late Renaissance architecture, left a significant legacy to descendants. Among his most significant projects are: Villa Rotona, the Basilica of Palladio, the church in Venice of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Teatro Olimpico, Loggia del Capitano. The architecture of Andrea Palladio is distinguished by solemnity, thoughtful continuation of ancient principles and traditions. In total, after the architect, more than 80 buildings of various sizes remained throughout Italy.
In addition to buildings, the architect left a legacy in the form of the monumental work “Four books on architecture” and several treatises on architectural monuments of the Ancient World. These books became textbooks for many generations of architects and played a paramount role in the development of great styles: Baroque and Classicism.
The influence of Palladio on world architecture
The work of Andrea Palladio left an indelible mark in world architecture. Today, buildings in the classical style, which was formed thanks to Palladio, are in all developed countries. Andrea Palladio, whose brief biography fits in two words: "Palladian style", became the founder of the whole direction of "name of yourself", which was no longer in the history of architecture. European architecture of the XVII-XVIII centuries was created under the direct impression of the work of Palladio and on the basis of its principles.
Palladio and Russia
Andrea Palladio left his mark in Russian architecture. Two of his passionate followers, Giacomo Quarenghi and Charles Kamerno, in the 17th century formed the image of the Northern capital. Later, already Russian architects, having absorbed the principles of Palladio, are building a huge number of buildings in the classical style in Moscow and many other cities. The latest surge of interest in the heritage of Andrea Palladio is the Stalinist Empire, which is based on its aesthetic principles.