In Renaissance times, orders were used to communicate the social status of the owners (Wassell, 2008, p. 215). Vitruvius identified four, and Alberti later identified a fifth. They consisted of the following: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite (Stemp, 2006, pg. 28). Palladio used the Ionic order in the design of Villa Barbaro (Reist, 1985, p. 312). At the time, the Ionic order was, according to Vitruvius associated with “feminine slenderness”. The column had a scrolled capital, a plain frieze, and three flat strips in the architrave (Stemp, 2006, p. 28-29). The front elevation resembles a Roman temple portico, which was recognized as a bold architectural decision at the time. Palladio borrowed this form from the design of the Temple of Fortune Virilis (Reist, 1985, p. 312).
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Palladio believed that the purity of geometry replaced ornamentation on a building. He believed in the elegance of simple geometric forms, and often explored that ides in both the plan and elevation (Williams & Ostwald, 2015, p. 108). This is most evident in the plan of Villa Barbaro. The nymphaeum at the rear curves in response to the semi-circular curve at the front. The semi-circles are suggestions of the circle, an ideal geometry that is on the cusp of its own completion. Another strong but more subtle play on geometry is in the repetition of the square. It is expressed in a few individual rooms as well as in groups. Finally, the salon, the principal room of the villa is in the form of a crucifix (Mitrovic, 2004, p.
Palladio believed that the purity of geometry replaced ornamentation on a building. He believed in the elegance of simple geometric forms, and often explored that ides in both the plan and elevation (Williams & Ostwald, 2015, p. 108). This is most evident in the plan of Villa Barbaro. The nymphaeum at the rear curves in response to the semi-circular curve at the front. The semi-circles are suggestions of the circle, an ideal geometry that is on the cusp of its own completion. Another strong but more subtle play on geometry is in the repetition of the square. It is expressed in a few individual rooms as well as in groups. Finally, the salon, the principal room of the villa is in the form of a crucifix (Mitrovic, 2004, p.