PALLADIO (Andrew)

, a celebrated Italian architect in the 16th century, was a native of Vicenza in Lombardy, and the disciple of Triffin, a learned man, who was a Patrician, or Roman nobleman, of the same| town of Vicenza. Palladio was one of those, who laboured particularly to restore the ancient beauties of architecture, and contributed greatly to revive a true taste in that art. Having learned the principles of it, he went to Rome; where, applying himself with great diligence to study the ancient monuments, he entered into the spirit of their architects, and possessed himself with all their beautiful ideas. This enabled him to restore their rules, which had been corrupted by the barbarous Goths. He made exact drawings of the principal works of antiquity which were to be met with at Rome; to which he added Commentaries, which went through several impressions, with the figures. This, though a very useful work, yet is greatly exceeded by the four books of architecture, which he published in 1570. The last book treats of the Roman temples, and is executed in such a manner, as gives him the preference to all his predecessors upon that subject. It was translated into French by Roland Friatt, and into English by several authors. Inigo Jones wrote some excellent remarks upon it, which were published in an edition of Palladio by Leoni, 1742, in 2 volumes folio.