Palladio in Venice

At a time of particular interest in Andrea Palladio's life and works, this book illustrates in detail the great cycle of his Venetian projects and completed masterpieces. The artistic career of one the most influential architects of the Western world is presented in relation to the last thirty years of his life, which were concentrated in large measure on his activity in the city of the Lagoon. His efforts to be accepted by the Venetian committenza, his initial defeats, the decisive friendship with the illustrious Barbaro brothers and, finally, the projects that culminated with the luminous monastic complex of San Giorgio Maggiore and the imposing church of the Redentore, are assessed not only as majestic expressions of Palladio's classical language; but also as architectural creations that needed to conform with the regulations imposed by the Counter-Reformation. This book was completed by the analysis of the Palladian opus I Quattro Libri dell' Architettura as well as a survey of major religious works designed by the architects who worked in Venice in the two centuries following Palladio's death in 1580 and who were influenced in different ways by the Master's awe-inspiring achievements. Alberto Weissmüller was born into a family of Austrian origin that was established in the Veneto region of Italy in the nineteenth century. He spent part of his childhood in Venice, near the Ca' D'Oro, and has a lifelong interest in the City's architecture. He lives in Maryland and works in Washington, D.C.