About the Book

From "one of our most original, accessible, and stimulating writers on architecture" ("Library Journal") comes a captivating account of the life and work of Andrea Palladio, the father of domestic architecture.

Book Synopsis

"Palladio is the Bible," Thomas Jefferson once said. "You should get it and stick to it." With his simple, gracious, perfectly proportioned villas, Andrea Palladio elevated the architecture of the private house into an art form during the late sixteenth century -- and his influence is still evident in the ample porches, columned porticoes, grand ceilings, and front-door pediments of America today.

In The Perfect House, bestselling author Witold Rybczynski, whose previous books (Home, A Clearing in the Distance, Now I Sit Me Down) have transformed our understanding of domestic architecture, reveals how a handful of Palladio's houses in an obscure corner of the Venetian Republic should have made their presence felt hundreds of years later and halfway across the globe. More than just a study of one of history's seminal architectural figures, The Perfect House reflects Rybczynski's enormous admiration for his subject and provides a new way of looking at the special landscapes we call "home" in the modern world.

Review Quotes

Los Angeles Times Rybczynski's clear description of what he sees and his lucid explanations of Palladio's ideas and methods enable the reader to see and understand the essence of this architect's accomplishments.

The New York Times Evocative, compelling, charming, The Perfect House is the perfect traveling companion.

The Philadelphia Inquirer Rybczynski has applied all his usual grace, style, and curiosity to explore an important chapter of domestic history.

Ross King author of Brunelleschi's Dome [A] wonderfully informative and evocative guide to both the elegant rooms of Palladio's villas and the fascinating history of how a humble stonemason from Padua became one of the most influential architects of all time.