Villa La Rotonda, Veneto

A hand printed triptych of Villa La Rotonda, Veneto

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Andrea Palladio’s Renaissance Villa Capra, also known as Villa La Rotonda, is sited in the outlying farmland and vineyards of Vicenza with views to the mountains to the north and the surrounding Po river basin.

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Built for Monsignor Paolo Almerico, a retired papal legate, the suburban dwelling of La Rotonda is centred upon a round, domed hall. The building is the apogee of Palladio’s humanist studies and seen today as the ideal of Renaissance architecture.

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Mastering the crystallising of classical ideals of geometric form, symmetry and harmonic proportions, the lack of adornment makes La Rotonda a timeless architectural masterpiece that has been studied for centuries since its completion. Architects such as Inigo Jones travelled here in the 17th century returning to Britain spreading Palladianism throughout the nation as well as Europe.

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Rotated at 45 degrees, the lack of embellishment and purity of stone allows the sun to create the additional adornment. Visiting late on an early October afternoon meant that the low autumn sun started to work its magic. By the end of the day, as I was ushered out of the stone arch onto the street, the shadows were lengthening over the steps opposite the entrance.

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These hand printed images were developed at the Real Photography company, a community darkroom in St Paul’s Learning Centre, Bristol.

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The Real Photography Company are a CIC (Community Interest company) who work in St Pauls in Bristol. A true community asset, in the winter months they open the studios for their ‘Winter warmers’ sessions. These sessions are for people who are struggling with keeping warm and the cost of heating their homes. The studio are open for workshops and is a few hours respite from the cold with the chance of a free hot meal from the St Pauls Learning Centre cafe.