Details:
La Rotonda is an Italian villa designed by Andrea Palladio and is located outside Vicenza, Italy.
Information:
The Villa Almerico-Capra was designed by Palladio for a priest, Paolo Almerico, who wanted to retire to the Veneto. The building took over twenty years to build, in which time Palladio died. It is called Villa Capra as it was completed by the Capra brothers, who took over from Palladio after his death. The design of the building was inspired by the pantheon in Rome, and hence the building is often referred to as ‘La Rotonda’ due to its central rotunda.
The design of the building is mathematically proportioned and symmetrical. The layout of the building is a series of interconnected circles and squares. The circle at the centre of the building, with the rotunda, is positioned in a square. This square is then enclosed in a larger square (which is segmented into rooms). It is this large square which makes the four façades of the building and each façade has a projecting portico. The whole building is then enclosed within a larger circle which is formed around the points of the projecting porticos.
Did you know?
Palladio defined the building as a palazzo instead of a villa as it was a suburban home and did not have a working farm.