For centuries, artists and designers have tried to create aesthetically pleasing architecture. But can a home be art? Jonathan Glancey takes a look.
In 1565, Paolo Almerico, a high-ranking official in the Papal courts of Pius IV and V, retired from the Vatican to Vicenza, in northeast Italy. Here he commissioned Andrea Palladio, one of history’s greatest architects, to design a new type of house. Built on a hill overlooking the city and surrounding countryside, La Rotonda was a freestanding villa independent of agriculture, religion or commerce. A place of study, contemplation and quiet enjoyment, it was also a work of impeccable art
