Event

A Privileged View of Palladio's Veneto

Andrea Palladio, 1508-1580

In cooperation with the Center for Palladian Studies in America, Inc.,
Drayton Hall is pleased to offer
"A Privileged View of Palladio’s Veneto"
September 16-24, 2010

Highlights:
In forty years of architectural production Andrea Palladio left perhaps
the greatest legacy of any architect. Through his treatise, I Quattro Libri
dell’Architettura, as well as by his built example, he irrevocably modified western architectural thought. During his lifetime he transformed his adopted city of Vicenza and the surrounding countryside.

This special Drayton Hall trip will explore the work of Andrea Palladio through
a series of private tours to the most significant villas in the Veneto as well as a day in Venice and a day in Mantua. The tour will be based in Vicenza at the four star Hotel Campo Marzio.

Our guide, Giuliana di Thiene, a local architectural expert, will introduce us to the Veneto on our first day with a special visit to her family castle-villa, Castello di Thiene. Next, we will explore one of Palladio’s very first villa commissions, Villa Godi, which boasts an unforgettable view of the plain leading to the Poe River.

Carl and Sally Gable, American owners of Villa Cornaro, and authors of Palladian Days, will offer our travelers an inside view of modern life in a Palladian villa. A leisurely Sunday lunch will be hosted by the Gables at Villa Cornaro where we will discuss Drayton Hall’s architectural relationship to Palladio’s Italian villas.

Our day in Venice will include easy transportation by private boat for our group to visit the church of Il Rendentore on the Giudecca island and the nearby church of San Giorgio Maggiore. We will also visit the Accademia Galleries to view the magnificent collection of Italian masterpieces.

Our day in the scenic town of Mantua, founded around 2000 BC, will offer insight into Palladio’s architectural predecessors. We will tour one of the greatest of Renaissance palaces, Palazzo Te, (1525-1535) a creation of Giulio Romano.

A visit to the Veneto would not be complete without including Villa Almerico Capra (La Rotonda), one of Palladio’s iconic works, where we will be treated to a private tour.

Next, we will visit Villa Emo and Villa Barbaro. Our final day will conclude in the heart of the Prosecco-producing area of Italy with a visit to the winery of Villa Sandi, an exquisite Palladian-style villa dating back to 1622. The Villa represents the combination of art and agriculture which has characterized the Venetian landscape for centuries. We will sip on Prosecco and lunch at their near-by restaurant.

Our trip truly offers a privileged view into the life of Andrea Palladio through the hospitality and knowledge of our Site Council member, Carl Gable. We will experience the city and region where Palladio lived and worked. We will learn and study, and return with a greater understanding of our treasure, Drayton Hall.

For the complete itinerary, fees, and registration form, please download the brochure in pdf format (above).