In 1570 Palladio had The Four Books of Architecture printed, in which he took stock of a 40-year career filled with extraordinary creations. On the tables, the villas and the palazzi appear just like the architect had meant them to be, perfect, not spoilt by compromises sometimes imposed by the nature of the place or by already existing buildings, and sumptuous, as they could not always be realized, due to the shortage of funding or other negative circumstances.
Palladio's heritage does not have equals in the history of western architecture, and maybe was even the greatest of all architects. His treatise was reprinted many times and translated in several languages, so as to amplify his message and to spread the Palladian style all over the world, from America to New Zealand, beyond the temporal perspectives the author could have imagined.
LoThe writing style is immediate and precise and matches the author's character, whom the chronicles of his time described as a well-educated and pleasant man. The details of his descriptions reveal an extraordinary mastery of the subject, both in the material aspects he had learnt during his long years of training as apprentice first and as master builder later, and in his overall views, which took shape in the sight of the masterpieces of classical architecture.
Michelangelo was an introvert and impulsive artist, Leonardo was a prodigy. Palladio was a balanced and measured man, and these qualities shine also through his portraits, which show an extraordinary sense of proportion and space ratios. This is the unique combination that made him a genius. But above all he was a serene person, and his serenity was the impetus of this art and the winning feature in the challenge every artists puts out to time.