Villa la Rotonda near Vicenza

Vicenza, altitude [of the villa] 55 m/180 feet above sea level; Via della Rotonda 45; train station at Vicenza 2 km/1.2 miles to the north. By bicycle the villa is easily reached by way of the Vicenza-Noventa Vicentina bike route which follows along Viale Riviera Berica.

The most famous of the Palladio villas was started in 1556 commissioned by the Vicentine ecclesiastic, Paolo Almerico; with Palladio’s death in 1580 it was still incomplete and lacking a roof , which was completed in 1585 by Vincenzo Scamozzi, with a rotund dome, although a little flatter than the original Palladio design; the nickname Rotonda became associated with the entire structure, further emphasized by the centralized symmetry that characterizes the floor plan: the four elevations are virtually identical, each with a pronaos [portico or porch] with six columns.

In presenting this villa in his Second Book of Architecture Palladio justifies this by writing: “…therefore, as it enjoys from every part most beautiful views, some of which are limited, some more extended, and others that terminate with the horizon; there are loggia’s [sic] made in all the four fronts”.

In 1591 the villa passed to the Capra family; in 1911 it became the property of the Valmarana family from Venice; the interior is open to the public between March and October and year round to visit the grounds; more information is available on the official villa website.

Goethe visits la Rotonda

Today I visited, just a half hour outside the city, a splendid house set on a hill, called la Rotonda. It is a square structure that embodies a circular room illuminated from above. From all four sides one ascends broad staircases and each leads to a porch, formed by six Corinthian columns. Perhaps architecture has never achieved a higher level of magnificence. The space taken up by staircases and porches is much greater than that of the house itself; and each side would look impressive as the facade of a temple.

22 September 1786. Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Italian Journey: 1786-1788

Photos

View from the bike route An oblique view of Villa Rotunda Front view Entrance From the garden One of the four facades Inscription The stables The Palladio drawing

Captions

Villa Rotunda by Palladio as seen from the Riviera Berica bike route A three-quarter view of Villa Rotunda as seen from the Riviera Berica bike route Front view of one of the four sides of the villa; at one time this was the primary access. Today the principal entrance to the villa is towards the east off a side street. View from the south side garden. denn jede einzelne Seite würde als Ansicht eines Tempels befriedigen. J. W. Goethe (and each side would look impressive as the facade of a temple.) The inscription spread out over the four sides reads: “Marius Capra Gabrielis filius qui aedes has arctissimo primogeniturae gradui subjecit una cum omnibus censibus agris vallibus et collibus citra viam magnam memoriae perpetuae mandans haec dum sustinet ac abstinet.” The structure housing the stables near the main entry. The Palladio drawing from the Second Book of Architecture.

Links

CISA Palladio, Centro Internazionale Studi Architettura Andrea Palladio = Andrea Palladio International Center for the Study of Architecture visitPALLADIO, Itinerari nell`armonia immaginata a Vicenza e nel Veneto = Journeys into imagined harmony in Vicenza and the Veneto region. IRVV, Istituto Regionale Ville Venete = Regional Institute of Venetian Villas

Villa la Rotonda official website Villa Almerico Capra known as “la Rotonda” on the CISA Palladio website Villa Almerico Capra known as “la Rotonda” description and map from CISA Palladio Villa Almerico Capra known as “la Rotonda” on the visitPALLADIO website