The First Book of Architecture 1721

Andrea Palladio’s "The First Book of Architecture", is a book of knowledge intended to codify classical forms. Palladio lived in the 16th century, a time of huge social change, religious reformation and a renewed interest in the classical world. Palladio, a white, Italian male, occupied a privileged position in this society and had access to knowledge, patronage, and resources that were not available to many others. "The First Book of Architecture", embodies ideas of the time: order, reason, and classical ideals. It became a tool for cultural dissemination, its influence extending far beyond Italy, shaping architecture in Europe and the Americas. However, we might ask, whose stories were excluded from these designs? Whose labor was used to build them? And how did these architectural forms reinforce existing power structures? The beautiful, ordered designs speak to an aspiration for perfection and harmony, yet they also reflect the social hierarchies of their time.