THE ARCHITECT ANDREA PALLADIO IN BARCELONA

Yesterday, at 7 p.m., I went to the Barcelona Caixa Forum Museum to join the free guided tour of the great Padua renaissance Architect Andrea Palladio, Michelangelo's contemporary.
It was the best way to finish my working day, as once you're there you immediately forget the daily stress and enter in the world of this amazing Italian Architect!
The name Palladio is synonymous with architecture for the last 500 years, with his famous buildings such as the Basilica and the Olympic Theatre in Vicenza, or the Venice churches San Giorgio Maggiore and Redentore.


I like the fact that Palladio democratised architecture, adding value to the domestic buildings, convinced that farms, granaries and bridges were just as important as the churches and palaces.


Palladio demonstrated that any building could be beautiful without necessarily using expensive materials. So, for instance, the classical columns of his buildings were made with bricks inside, much cheaper than marble.
In this way he reached a perfect combination between beauty and functionality.
His career was impressive: he started as a bricklayer in the city of Padua and became the favourite architect of Vicenza's and Venice's rich patrons, the Church and the Venetian State.
If you are in Barcelona I strongly recommend you to attend this guided tour, you will definitely want to go to Italy and see Palladio’s art!
Ciao
Sergio