Andrea Palladio

Andrea Palladio was a 16th-century Italian architect whose work profoundly influenced Western architecture. He emphasized symmetry, proportion, and the use of classical elements derived from ancient Greece and Rome. Palladio believed that architecture should not only be beautiful but also functional and harmonious with its surroundings. His designs, including villas and churches, often featured grand facades and elegant columns, promoting a balance between aesthetics and practicality. Palladio’s ideas, captured in his book "The Four Books of Architecture," laid the foundation for later architectural movements, particularly Neoclassicism, shaping the way buildings are designed even today.