Review Of The Four Books On Architecture By A. Palladio, Translated By R. Tavernor And R. Schofield

Andrea Palladio\u27s seminal treatise (Venice, 1570) is undoubtedly the most influential book in Western architecture. Thanks to its succinct text and its many clear and accurate illustrations, it appealed to practical builders as well as to their erudite patrons; it remained for centuries in wide use and continued admiration. Through its dissemination Europeans and Americans acquired the principles of classical architecture, and to many far away from the Veneto Palladio was the Palladio of The Four Books. Hard as it may be to believe, the only edition in English until now was a Dover reprint of Isaac Ware\u27s 1738 translation. The new translation, therefore heartily welcome, is admirable in accuracy no less than in kindness; words that call for special attention are accompanied by their Italian counterparts, and a thoughtful 40-page glossary is appended. For the benefit of those who might have wished to have a bilingual edition, the plates and text are keyed to the Hoepli facsimile of editio princeps. A brief introduction by Robert Tavernor, cotranslator, explains Palladio\u27s debt to Vitruvius, Alberti, Serlio, and Alvise Cornaro, among others. Beautifully printed and bound, the book is definitely for all libraries. General; undergraduate (including two-year technical program) through professional