Although the sixteenth-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) designed many classically inspired buildings, he is best known for his landmark treatise on architecture, I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura (1570). The work remains influential today, and resulted in a revival of Palladian style in northern Europe and elsewhere two centuries after its publication.

To celebrate the 500th anniversary of his birth, Palladio shows the Renaissance architect’s ability to turn every project into a masterpiece with a series of breathtaking photographs showcasing his designs. Among them are gorgeous palaces in Vicenza, stately villas in the Vicentine countryside, and several Venetian churches. In this definitive volume, authors Beltramini and Burns carefully examine Palladio’s life and achievements, and assess the ways in which his work has inspired generation after generation of architects.