Villa Capra was built in 1567 in Italy by architect Andrea Palladio, who died in 1571 before completing it. Vicenzo Scamozzi finished construction in 1569. The villa was commissioned by Count Paolo Almerico as a retreat for contemplation and entertaining, located a half hour walk from Vicenza. Palladio designed the villa in the shape of a Greek cross with a central dome inspired by ancient Roman architecture. Though extravagant, critics noted it lacked a homely feel. The villa's architecture and proportions were based on mathematical calculations and musical harmonies to symbolize beauty.

1. Villa Capra
Villa Capra (also known as Villa La Rotonda) was builtin the year 1567, the
Late Renaissance in Italy by Andrea Palladio who is the man in the portrait figure 1.
But unfortunately, Palladio died at the age of 71, Life of Andrea Palladio (as cited in
Villa La Rotonda, 2009). VicenzoScamozzi, the man in the portrait of figure 2
continued the construction of Villa Capra and finished it in the year of 1569 (Murray,
1986).
Paolo Almerico (1514-1589) whom was a count and a canon of the Cathedral
chapter of Vicenza and Referendary to Pope Pius IV and also the client of Villa
Capra, wished for a building for himself to contemplate, entertain and has a half
hour’s walk to the Vicenza’s south walls (Castex, 2008). The dome was selected
because of the meaning of “domus” which means “house”such as ancient Roman
houses with domes and the porticos were chosen also because they represented the
main views of the surrounding landscape (Castex, 2008). But, by using these two
architectural elements, which are taken from sacral church architecture, it resultswith
the lack of homeliness (Toman, 2007).The villa is in the shape of a Greek cross
(Toman, 2007).
Figure 1: Andrea Palladio. Source:
http://uploads8.wikipaintings.org/images/el-
greco/portrait-of-a-man-andrea-palladio-
1575.jpg
Figure 2:VicenzoScamozzi. Source:
http://www.riha-
journal.org/articles/2012/galleries-
2012/images-davis-riha-journal-0059/abb1
Figure 1 : Andrea Palladio Figure 2 : VicenzoScamozzi

2. According to Goethe (as cited in Toman, 2007) in 1786 on Villa Capra, “It may
well be that architecture has never been more extravagant”. Besides, according to
Goethe (as cited in Toman, 2007) on Villa Capra’s second impression, “Within it can
be called habitable, but not homely”.
The decoration of Villa Capra started at the end of the 16th
century and was
finished at the beginning of the 18th
century,Genesi of the Villa (as cited in Villa La
Rotonda, 2009).
End of the 16th
century:
Beginning of the 17th
century:
Beginning of the 18th century:
Name Work (s)
Lorenzo Rubini Built the statues on stairs.
Giambattista Albanese
Built the statues on the porticos and roof.
Completed the frescosinside the dome and
The Greek cross
The portico

3. in the four corners rooms and little rooms
with Alessandro Maganzacommissioned by
the owner of the villa that time, Oddorico
Capra in the beginning of 17th
century.
Alessandro Maganza
Completed the frescosinside the dome and
in the four corners rooms and little rooms
with Giambattista Albanese commissioned
by the owner of the villa that time, Oddorico
Capra.
AgostinoRubini
Completed the stuccoes inside the dome
and in the four corners rooms and little
rooms commissioned by the owner of the
villa that time, Oddorico Capra.
Decorated the major rooms with lavish
marble fireplaces and beautiful stucco
decorated cowls with OttavianoRidolfi.
OttavianoRidolfi
Decorated the major rooms with lavish
marble fireplaces and beautiful stucco
decorated cowls with AgostinoRubini.
Louis Dorigny
Painted frescos of the hall and the corridors
for the wedding of Marzio and Cecilia
Capra.
The statues

4. The fresco and
statues in the
corridor
The frescos inside the dome for the wedding between Marzio and Cecilia Capra.

5. Palladio made Villa Capramore historically significant and meaningful by
planningvery precise mathematical proportions on the geometric shape of the
property (Toman, 2007). Besides, the system proportions of rooms were based on
the musical scale harmonies (octaves, thirds, fourth, etc.) (Castex, 2008).Palladio’s
mathematical organization in his architecture plan always creates the most appealing
variety in and out by combining the numbers, proportions, and music (abstractly) to
convey the idea of beauty (Castex, 2008).
During the Reformation period, the Anabaptists from the artisans and
peasants were against the authority while the Erasmian ideals and Presbyterianism
were embraced by the upper class (Castex, 2008). In order to escape from this
turmoil, the special personality of Almerico and Palladio’s meditations on ancient art
came together by this chance and Palladio was able to realize the vision of creating a
villa-temple, Genesi of the Villa (as cited in Villa La Rotonda, 2009). This idea was
also generated by the surrounding of Villa Capra which has a direct relationship with
the rural environment.
According to Andrea Palladio, The Four Books of Architecture, 1570, L.II, p.
18 (trans. Tavernor and Schofield, 1997) (as cited in Genesi of the Villa (as
cited in Villa La Rotonda, 2009):”The site is one of the most pleasing and
delightful that one could find because it is on top of a small hill which is easy
to ascend; on one side it is bathed by the Bacchiglione, a navigable river, and
on the other is surrounded by other pleasant hills which resemble a vast
theater and are completely cultivated and abound with wonderful fruit and
excellent vines; so, because it enjoys the most beautiful vistas on every side,
some of which are restricted, others more extensive, and yet others which
end at the horizon…”