The cultural event of the season in London speaks Italian. The exhibition Andrea Palladio: his life and legacy opened from 31 of January to 13 April at the Royal Academy of Art, celebrates the quincentenary of the birth of the “architects’ architect”.

Palladio is much loved in England.

“Probably it is because he was from Veneto, a region that shares with England a similar, in some ways protestant, work ethic . In his works you can see this seriousness, avoiding baroquesque “

says the curator Guido Beltramini, of the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio, Vicenza. “All the Veneto region –Beltramini says– in the 17th e 18th century was seen as a land of freedom, for the special case of the Republic of Venice in an Europe of monarchies. This is also the reason why later Palladio’s Villa Rotonda was the model for the US president Thomas Jefferson for his project of the White House. It should be a house of free men, not monarchs”.

The architect Inigo Jones brought to England Palladio’s drawing, after a trip to Italy in 1614, making the English falling in love with his rational and innovative style. The exhibition follows Palladio’s career, from the earlier palazzi in Vicenza, with his innovative solutions for rural building to his great churches in Venice, such as the Redentore church.

There are original drawings and models of his projects, as well as his Four Books of Architecture, published in 1570 to illustrate the basic grammar and vocabulary of architecture. With five editions and translations in many languages it was a real best seller.

To have a real taste Palladio’s land, the Royal Academy offers as a related event to the exhibition “Discover Venetian cuisine with Carluccio’s Italian food specialist, Valentina Daprile”. On Friday 20 February, from 6.30 to 7.30pm you could learn more about Andrea Palladio’s much-loved Veneto region discovering (and tasting!) the origins of important Italian ingredients and Venetian dishes, at an exciting cooking demonstration.
The Admission is free but booking is required with an email.

Photo | seier