Villa and Palace in the Venetian Renaissance

'Venetian patrician Francesco Pisani's villa-palace in Montagnana designed by Andrea Palladio was a hybrid expression of both urban and rural purposes and was the centerpiece of Pisani's territorial and residential itinerary. The reader follows Johanna Heinrichs's engaging account of this peripatetic patron from his rented accommodations in Venice to his Monselice 'stop-over villa' to the rich life of the agricultural seasons and cultural activities entertained at home in Montagnana - 'a home and business, a place of leisure and hospitality.' She also connects architectural features and functions to its US heritage in colonial and modern buildings, making this volume of interest to an audience for both Renaissance and Palladian studies and the classical tradition in architecture.' Tracy E. Cooper, Professor of Art History, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University 'Was Palladio's Villa Pisani at Montagnana conceived as a villa or a palace? Was it a working farm or a rural retreat? Johanna Heinrichs looks at the villa through a series of different lenses to address these puzzling questions. Based on pioneering research, her fluently written book paints a vivid picture of the life and concerns of the patron, and it hardly comes as a surprise that Palladio was present at Francesco Pisani's deathbed.' Deborah Howard, Professor Emerita, University of Cambridge