ANDREA PALLADIO
Andrea Palladio was born in Padua in 1508, son of Pietro della Gondola who was a mill worker. After moving to Vicenza at a young age, Andrea took a job in the very active workshop of the so-called Pedemuro who specialized in cutting marble and sculpture. It was during this time of apprentice that Andrea got “noticed” by Giangiorgio Trissino, an aristocrat and refined intellectual of the Venetian Mainland. Trissino decided to assign Andrea the commission of restoring his wonderful Villa Cricoli, located just outside Vicenza. He also decided to take Andrea to Rome for his very first time.
Thank to the ancient roman buildings that he could see not only in Rome, but also in Vicenza, Verona and Padua, and through the experience of the works of some of the most prominent architects such as Giulio Romano, Michele Sanmicheli, Sebastiano Serlio and Jacopo Sansovino, Andrea was able to develop his own original style that we can still admire in some of his important works such as Villa Almerico, known as “La Rotonda” and Villa Barbaro in Maser, which was frescoed by Veronese. Others of his works include the beautiful Loggia of the Captain and the Basilica of Vicenza. In Venice we can admire his churches, the Redentore and Saint George the Greater.

"In Lonedo luogo del Vicentino è la seguente fabbrica del Signor Girolamo de' Godi posta sopra un colle di bellissima uista, & a canto un fiume, che serve per Peschiera. Per rendere questo sito comodo per uso di Villa vi sono stati fatti cortili, & strade sopra uolti con non piccola spesa. La fabbrica di mezo è per l'habitazione del padrone e della famiglia. Le stanze del padrone hanno il piano loro alto da terra tredici piedi, e sono in solaro, sopra quelle ui sono i granari, & nella parte di sotto, cioè nell'altezza di tredici piediui sono disposte le cantine, i luoghi da fare i vini, la cucina, & altri luoghi simili.
La sala giunge con la sua altezza fin sotto il tetto, &ha due ordini di finestre. Dall'uno e dall'altro lato ui sono i cortili, & i coperti per le cose di Villa. E' stata questa fabbrica ornata di pitture bellissime inventione da Maser Gualtiero Padovano, da Messer Battista del Moro Veronese, & da Messer Battista Veneziano; perché questo gentil'huomo, il quale è giudiciosissimo per renderla a quella eccellenza & perfezione, che sia possibile; non ha guardato a spesa alcuna, & ha scelto i più singolari, & eccellenti Pittori de' nostri tempi."
Quote of Andrea Palladio from "The Four Books of Architecture", 1570


THE ARCHITECTURE
Villa Godi Malinverni is the first villa Palladio realized, as quoted in his Four Books on Architecture. The commissioner and owner of the property was Gerolamo Godi, who had it built for his son Antonio as announced on a relief set just above the loggia by the entrance. The work was completed in 1542. The villa, which stands on the slopes of the Lonedo hill overlooks the Astico river and features some elements typical of castles, such as “la colombaia” or columbaria. Simulating a little tower, it would serve to control and dominate the valley below. The central staircase’s main access, rising to the noble floors and built on top of the single archway supporting the loggia, recalls in a way the typical structure of medieval lift bridges, hence the need to control all the entrances to the family’s private areas. The central body in the front part of the villa is set backward in opposition to the scheme of the villas with towers usually built in the Veneto region. On the sides of the villa are two right-angle projecting bodies. The back of the villa comes forward, and in the middle of the building that corresponds to the main hall there is a serliana which was built later during the restoration works in 1550, at the place of the original roman thermal window.




"LA STREGA"
Pietro ANNIGONI
Italian portrait and fresco painter

Annigoni is most famous for his 1954 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II