Located at the top of a hill in Northern Italy, not too far from Venice stands one of the most renowned villas. Designed by Andrea Palladio, the Villa Rotonda would become one of the most recognizable buildings of the Renaissance.
Palladio’s design consisted of uniformity, balance and symmetry. The design of the building is completely symmetrical, it presents a square plan with identical porticoes, a central dome and a circular hall. Although the plan of the design is very symmetrical and calculated, Palladio focused on creating the design of all 4 facades of the building a different design. Palladio planned 20 villas but only two of them, La Rotonda and Villa Trissino di Meledo (that would never be built) have the peculiar plan that sets them apart: the central round hall with the domed vault, inscribed in a square, with four facades, each with a projecting portico and steps, 6 Ionic columns. [1]
La Rotonda was commissioned by Paolo Almerico, a man that sold his home in the city to retire in the countryside. For this reason, the Villa was not designed as a villa but rather as an urban residence placed in the countryside. The interior of the building speaks contrarily against the exterior which appears to be simple and loose in reference -it’s brightly colored palette of colors used, and the various ways in which religion is
connected to the design.
The exterior of La Rotonda also suggests the sacred. The edifice was influenced by ancient Roman temples (such as the Pantheon) and sacred complexes (such as the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia). By using ancient Roman temples as a model, Palladio incorporates religious overtones into an otherwise secular space. At the same time, La Rontonda has a perennial quality to it; Palladio’s use of classical elements emphasizes a universal architectural language. [2] The decoration of La Rotonda started at the end of 16th century. Lorenzo Rubini, who is named by Palladio in his book, is thought to have been responsible for the statues on the stairs, whilst Giambattista Albanese those on the porticos and roof. At the beginning of the 17th century, Oddorico Capra commissioned the frescos and stuccoes inside the dome, in the four corners rooms and in the little rooms. The frescos are thought to have been completed by Giambattista and Alessandro Maganza, the stuccoes by Agostino Rubini. The major rooms are enriched with lavish marble fireplaces and beautiful stucco decorated cowls, thought to be by Agostino Rubini and Ottaviano Ridolfi. The floors are made in precious venetian battuto, a special stucco made with a mix of lime and coloured marble grit, whilst in other rooms the floor are laid with hexagonal tiles. The last decorations were made at the beginning of 18th century, when the French painter Louis Dorigny painted the frescos of the hall and the corridors for the wedding of Marzio and Cecilia Capra. The villa was only lightly modified in the following centuries: between 1725 and 1740, the third floor was transformed and divided by Muttoni; until 1750 the attic area was not habitable. [2]
Works Cited: http://www.villalarotonda.it/Genesi_english.pdf
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