[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 259 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.Con.Res.259
                                      Agreed to December 6, 2010        

                      One Hundred Eleventh Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the fifth day of January, two thousand and ten


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas 2008 was the 500th anniversary of the birth year of the Italian 
  architect Andrea Palladio;

Whereas Andrea Palladio was born Andrea di Pietro in Padua on November 
  30, 1508;

Whereas Palladio, born of humble origins, apprenticed as a stonemason 
  in his early life;

Whereas under the patronage of Count Giangiorgio Trissino (1478-1550), 
  Palladio studied architecture, engineering, topography, and military 
  science in his mid-twenties;

Whereas in 1540, Count Trissino renamed him ``Palladio'', a reference 
  to the wisdom of Pallas Athena, as well as the Italian form of the 
  name of the Roman writer of the fourth century, Rutilius Taurus 
  Aemilianus Palladius;

Whereas Palladio's designs for public works, churches, mansions, and 
  villas rank among the most outstanding architectural achievements of 
  the Italian Renaissance;

Whereas Palladio's surviving buildings are collectively included in the 
  UNESCO World Heritage List;

Whereas Palladio's treatise, ``The Four Books of Architecture'', ranks 
  as the most influential publication on architecture ever produced and 
  has shaped much of the architectural image of Western civilization;

Whereas ``The Four Books of Architecture'' has served as a primary 
  source for classical design for many architects and builders in the 
  United States from colonial times to the present;

Whereas Thomas Jefferson called Palladio's ``The Four Books of 
  Architecture'' the ``Bible'' for architectural practice, and employed 
  Palladio's principles in establishing lasting standards for public 
  architecture in the United States and in constructing his own 
  masterpiece, Monticello;

Whereas our Nation's most iconic buildings, including the United States 
  Capitol Building and the White House, reflect the influence of 
  Palladio's architecture through the Anglo-Palladian movement, which 
  flourished in the 18th century;

Whereas Palladio's pioneering reconstruction and restoration drawings 
  of ancient Roman temples in ``The Four Books of Architecture'' 
  provided inspiration for many of the great American classical 
  edifices of the 19th and 20th centuries, in the period known as the 
  American Renaissance;

Whereas the American Renaissance marked the high point of the classical 
  tradition and enriched the United States from coast to coast with 
  countless architectural works of timeless dignity and beauty, 
  including the John A. Wilson Building, the seat of government of the 
  District of Columbia;

Whereas the American architectural monuments inspired both directly and 
  indirectly by the writings, illustrations, and designs of Palladio 
  form a proud and priceless part of our Nation's cultural heritage; 
  and

Whereas organizations, educational institutions, governmental agencies, 
  and many other entities have been celebrating this special 500-year 
  anniversary, including the Italian National Committee for Andrea 
  Palladio 500, the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura 
  Andrea Palladio, the Palladium Musicum, Inc., the Istituto Italiano 
  di Cultura, and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical 
  America, as well as other Italian and Italian American cultural 
  organizations, such as the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of 
  New York, Inc., and the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, DC, 
  Inc., with a wide variety of public programs, publications, symposia, 
  proclamation ceremonies, and salutes to the genius and legacy of 
  Palladio: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
        (1) recognizes the 500th anniversary of Andrea Palladio's birth 
    year;
        (2) recognizes his tremendous influence on architecture in the 
    United States; and
        (3) expresses its gratitude for the enhancement his life and 
    career has bestowed upon the Nation's built environment.
Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.