A comprehensive handbook tracing the career of the architect who transformed the building design and construction of the Western world, this is the revised paperback edition of Abbeville's acclaimed 1994 large-format publication.Andrea Palladio (1505-1589) was one of the most brilliant architects the world has ever known; many consider his villas, palaces, and churches the embodiment of Renaissance ideals. Though his buildings have often been photographed and numerous specialized studies have been written about his career, never before have Palladio's life and times been brought together in such an incisive narrative as this one. Richly illustrated with specially commissioned photographs as well as period plans and drawings, this book sets Palladio within the backdrop of the dramatic events and personalities of the age while discussing his importance in art history.