Palladio's I quattro libri

Andrea Palladio’s monumental I quattri libri dell'architettura (The Four Books of Architecture), first published in 1570 and republished and translated many times through the centuries, was the primary vehicle for spreading his fame and influence.

Modeled loosely on earlier works by Vitruvius, Leon Battista Alberti and Sebastiano Serlio, Palladio’s great contribution was to explain and illustrate the principles of classically-inspired Renaissance architecture in a clear, rational way.

This visual clarity, along with his explanatory text, enabled this work to become perhaps the most influential architectural book in the western world. It was the first to include contemporary designs by the author, and his depictions of ancient Roman buildings established the canon of classical architecture that endures to this day.