[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 259 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 259


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2010

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the 500th anniversary of the birth of Italian architect 
                            Andrea Palladio.

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.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 17, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.