```

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 407 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 407

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2008

Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Mica, Mr. Coble, Mr. Platts, Mr. Saxton, 
   Mr. Pallone, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Hare, Mr. Lynch, Mr. 
  Rothman, Mr. Arcuri, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Doyle, Mr. 
Scott of Virginia, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. 
Abercrombie, Mr. Costello, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Holt, Mrs. Maloney of New 
 York, and Ms. DeLauro) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

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

Whereas 2008 is the 500th anniversary of the birth 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), in his 
        midtwenties Palladio studied architecture, engineering, topography, and 
        military science;
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'' has served as a primary source for classical design 
        for many of America's architects and builders from colonial times to the 
        present;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson called Palladio's ``The Four Books'' the ``Bible'' for 
        architectural practice, and employed Palladio's principles in 
        establishing lasting standards for America's public architecture 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'' 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 our country 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 are 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) commemorates the 500th anniversary of Andrea Palladio's 
        birth;
            (2) recognizes his tremendous influence on American 
        architecture; and
            (3) expresses its gratitude for the enhancement his life 
        and career has bestowed upon America's built environment.
                                 <all>
```