the great architect of the late Italian Renaissance. Founder palladianstva and classicism. Perhaps the most influential architect in history.
Born in Padua, the former at the time of the Venetian Republic, in the family miller Pietro "della Gondola" (Pietro "della Gondola"). In 1524 he moved to Vicenza, which began work in the stone-cutting and the sculpture workshop of Bartolomeo Kavatstsa Sossano notorious bad working conditions. Twice tried to escape from - the second attempt, in 1524 he was successful, and moved to Vicenza Palladio is at work in the studio of San Biagi in the quarter Pedemuro. Its owners, Giovanni Di Giacomo from Porletstsy and Dzhirolamo Pittoni of Luminyano were famous sculptors in Vicenza. Andrea did the work, usually instruct apprentices: capitals, reliefs, friezes. In 1534 (he was 26 years old), his wife became Allegradonna, the daughter of a carpenter Marcantonio. They were born 5 children: sons, Leonid, Marcantonio, Orazio and Silla and daughter Zenobio.
In Vicenza coming closer to the humanist artist JJ Trissino, under whose leadership began to study architecture and received a humanistic education. Trissino persuaded to change his name to a nickname Palladio (from Greek. Palladion - the so-called statue of the goddess Pallas Athena, which, in Athens to legend, fell from the sky and defended the city from enemies; name Palladio himself Trissino subsequently called celestial envoy in one of his epic poems ). On the advice of Trissino future architect made his first trip to Rome, and upon his return was a humanist of the first customer.