H. Con. Res. 259 
Agreed to December 6, 2010
One Hundred Eleventh Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the fifth day of January, two thousand and ten 
Concurrent Resolution 
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 ref-
erence 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;
H. Con. Res. 259—2 
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 Com-
mittee 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 Herit-
age 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 cere-
monies, and salutes to the genius and legacy of Palladio: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concur-
ring), 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. 
Attest: 
Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
Attest: 
Secretary of the Senate.