[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 69--RECOGNIZING THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
             THE BIRTH OF ITALIAN ARCHITECT ANDREA PALLADIO

  Mr. ENZI submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 69

       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;
       Whereas a special exhibition, ``Palladio and His Legacy: A 
     Transatlantic Journey'', featuring 31 original Palladio 
     drawings, organized by the Royal Institute of British 
     Architects Trust in association with the Centro 
     Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio, 
     demonstrates how Palladio's work has significantly influenced 
     American architecture from colonial times to the present and 
     will travel to The Morgan Library & Museum, the National 
     Building Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and The Heinz 
     Architectural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art during the years 
     2010 and 2011; and
       Whereas other organizations, educational institutions, 
     museums, governmental agencies and many other entities have 
     continued to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of 
     Palladio, beyond the year 2008, including the Italian 
     National Committee for Andrea Palladio 500, the Istituto 
     Italiano di Cultura, the Institute of Classical Architecture 
     & Classical America, the Center for Palladian Studies in 
     America, Inc. and the Palladium Musicum, Inc., as well as 
     Italian American cultural organizations, such as the Italian 
     Heritage and Culture Committee of New York, Inc., with a wide 
     variety of public programs, museum exhibits, publications, 
     symposia, proclamation ceremonies and salutes to the genius 
     and legacy of Palladio. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the 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.

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