Question

First published in Venice in 1570, this influential book was republished in Italian several times before being published in English in 1715. It was divided into four parts, the first on building materials and techniques, the second on large private houses, the third on streets, piazzas, bridges and basilicas, and the fourth on temples. What is the title of this book (still available today), and who is the author?

Answer

Andrea Palladio's The Four Books of Architecture spoke to the belief that a universal vocabulary of architectural form was developed by the ancient Romans and that a careful study and use of these forms would result in "beauty."