Andrea Palladio
(1508-1580)

The 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, one of the great masters of Renaissance culture, has had an enduring influence on American architecture.

His theories were introduced to America in the first half of the 18th century at such pioneering monuments as Drayton Hall in South Carolina, Mount Airy in Virginia and Redwood Library in Rhode Island.

Soon, colonial architects including William Buckland, John Trumbull and Thomas Jefferson began to incorporate into their designs forms and motifs inspired by Palladio's great opus, Four Books on Architecture.

In a series of articles, this CPSA website documents aspects of Palladio's life, his buildings and publications, the spread of his influence through Europe and America, and the evolution and pervasive impact of the body of architectural principles and motifs known as Palladianism.