Villa Rotunda - Andrea Palladio's masterpiece

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Not far from charming Venice is the city of Vicenza, which is no less beautiful than a fairy tale on the water that has preserved its medieval image. It is unlikely that it will be possible to describe all the sights of a settlement popular with tourists in one article.

Vicenza is called the city of Andrea Palladio in honor of the great genius who moved here in his youth, who built majestic buildings here that became the pride of Italy.

Let's stop at a country house, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994, which is called La Rotonda (Villa Rotonda). Vicenza Palladio left behind brilliant buildings, and in architecture the Italian city is forever associated with the name of the great master.

Architectural genius

His works in stone are never repeated, and even small decorative elements are individual.

Creatormany masterpieces, the only architect in the world, whose name the style (Palladian) was named, believed that any building looks the most advantageous with the right ratio of the whole and the details in it. And no amount of decorated columns, luxurious statues, graceful arches will make the building beautiful.

Symmetry principle

Andrea di Pietro, known by his pseudonym as Palladio (from the name of the Greek goddess Pallas Athena), it is no coincidence that he spent a lot of time exploring the ancient buildings of the city. Making sketches of houses and temples, he realized why they are so beautiful. Having measured the mighty columns, the creator discovered that before their erection, the masters carried out the most complex mathematical calculations.

Palladio realized that the principle of symmetry for the architects of past centuries was fundamental. One side of any structure mirrored the other, this applied to rooms in the form of squares and circles. After examining the rectangular buildings, the architect found that they were particularly careful about the correct proportion of length and width.

The house that became a model

Villa Rotunda, standing on a hill like a religious building, proudly towers over Vicenza. After the work was completed, strict buildings for English aristocrats began to appear, built in this likeness, and the most famous copy is considered to be the St. Sophia (Voznesensky) Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo.

This is the first private house in the history of construction, repeating with its forms an ancient religious building. Such a resemblanceappeared thanks to the wide staircases, statues of ancient gods and the dome, which evoke associations with the Roman "temple of all gods" - the Pantheon.

Dynamic statues

Sculptures should be mentioned separately. In his book, the Italian mentions several masters who worked with him and created dynamic sculptures. The figures that the architect was so fond of placing near the stairs are always in motion. This is not the usual frozen silhouette, as if currents flow from each image, giving life to the entire building as a whole.

Construction history

Villa Rotunda near Vicenza, built according to the rules of the golden section, was created as a noble mansion for Paolo Almerico, and after the death of the architect, his talented student V. Scamozzi completed the finishing work for the new owners, the Capra brothers.

The history of the construction of the main attraction of the city is known. The wise architect was approached by a priest who had moved to Vicenza and dreamed of a perfect house. A lover of regular geometric shapes immediately realized that he would take a square as a basis, into which he would inscribe a circle.

In 1566, Palladio, who believes that the simplest things are the most beautiful, developed a sketch of the future building. Thanks to carefully thought-out mathematical proportions, the villa is distinguished by perfect symmetry: a round hall was inscribed in a square.

The world's first domed building

The talent of the master manifested itself in the fact that all the decorative details inherent in temple architecture fit perfectly into the privatebuilding and give it a special elegance. The high plinth was an important part of religious buildings, and while building a secular house, Andrea Palladio did not forget about it.

The Villa Rotunda near Vicenza was the world's first secular building of the Renaissance, decorated with a dome with a hole cut in it, through which sunlight entered the huge hall.

The external beauty of the structure fully corresponded to the internal one. Talented painters were invited to paint the interiors, decorating the ceiling and walls with frescoes on mythological themes and allegorical images of the life of the priest Almerico.

Simplicity in everything

Villa Rotunda, which glorified the name of the Italian genius throughout the world, consists of four identical facades surrounding the central round hall crowned with a dome. Massive wide staircases, on the parapets of which are located stone statues, lead to each facade, decorated with porticos with six columns and pediments.

Simple, at first glance, architectural solutions without any frills make the appearance of the building refined and elegant.

Earlier, ancient architects attached a portico only to the central facade, and Palladio went against established traditions, making the villa symmetrical from all sides.

Harmony of nature and architectural masterpiece

When designing the building, the brilliant Andrea Palladio relied on his invaluable experience. Villa Rotunda, built in the best traditions of the ancient temple, blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape. The architect brilliantly masteredthe art of harmonizing graceful architectural forms with natural beauty, having absorbed this skill from ancient architects.

In his book, he admitted that he specifically chose the most beautiful place imaginable for the monumental creation. The author has always turned to nature, and each of his works completely merged with it in perfect harmony.

Evaluation of the Goethe building

Villa Rotunda in Vicenza has always aroused great interest. Many wanted to get acquainted with a unique masterpiece, and Goethe was no exception. Extremely interested in antiquity, the German poet came to Italy to admire the works of Palladio with his own eyes. He believed that it was possible to appreciate the amazing beauty of the structures only in person, so he went to Vicenza.

In 1786, after visiting the house, the admiring Goethe wrote in his notes: “Villa Rotunda is a magnificent building located on a picturesque hill. It seems that before that architecture did not allow itself such a luxury. Each side of the house resembles a temple. Incredibly beautiful rooms and a large hall. The owner of the building, visible from any point, left a real monument to his descendants.”

Change of owners

In June 1912, Villa Rotunda changes hands. They became the Valmaran family, who wished to restore the architectural miracle. Professor of architecture Mario, who died in 2010, spent 60 years to ensure that it acquired the look that is known to contemporaries. In 1980, the territory becomes open to the public, and on certain days you can get acquainted with the interior.

Todaythe owner of the villa is Lodovico Valmaran, who has established a special fund.

Most researchers of the Italian architect's work believe that the majestic Villa Rotunda is the pinnacle of his work. Palladio embodied his grandiose ideas in it and demonstrated the architectural principles of symmetry.

A sample of style and ideal proportions in any visitor causes an irresistible desire to get acquainted with other works of the master, which abound in the district of the city.