On September 21st, 1786, Goethe described Villa “La Rotonda” in his “Italian Journey” using these words: “Today I visited the splendid building which stands on a pleasant elevation about half a league from the town, and is called the “Rotonda”. It is a quadrangular building, enclosing a circular hall, lighted from the top. On all the four sides, you ascend a broad flight of steps, and always come to a vestibule, which is formed of six Corinthian columns. Probably the luxury of architecture was never carried to so high a point”. Today, in his book “La Rotonda di Andrea Palladio”, professor and artist Gian Antonio Golin depicts the Villa with a detailed fascinating overview of the clients, the inside, the outside, the decorations, the architecture-nature bond and the design . The final outcome is an adaptation of the religious connotations of temples and churches into a private building. The guidebook offers plenty of pictures by the artist Tranquillo Cortiana showing the Villa’s exterior and interior, unique and never seen snapshots like the ones about the ground floor and the impressive kitchen.

The book and the photos will lead the reader to a magic place arousing a strong sensation of astonishment, today more than yesterday.