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Southern Palladian Windows

Regardless of their obvious differences, many of the great architectural house styles of the Antebellum South—Federal, Greek Revival, Classical Revival, coastal Tidewater—feature a unifying thread that that indelibly links them together. That thread is the work of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Even though this 16th Century architect worked solely in Veneto, and Venice, Italy, his design style influenced architecture throughout Europe and North America from the 16th Century to modern times. Many 17th Century European architects studying in Italy were influenced by his work and brought his ideals to their regions, adapting his principles to suit their locales. As Americans looked to Europe for influential design ideas, elements of his work began popping up in early American architecture, as well.

His work primarily was based on mathematical proportions and modeled after classical Greek and Roman forms. Ancient Roman temples particularly influenced his work. Arches are prominent in his buildings, as are porticos, pediments, loggias, columns, and pilasters. These elements became prominent in North American classical and colonial architectural styles by the 18th Century. Southern Greek Revival homes, with their classical pediments, columns, and porticos were heavily influenced by Palladio’s work.

One of the architect’s signature elements is the Palladian or Venetian window. The Palladian window consists of three parts: an arched center section and two flanking side sections. The window figures largely in his work, and it became a hallmark of his early career. In Antebellum architecture, Palladian windows are found in many house styles, including Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Federal and Georgian. Federal house styles, for example, often feature a Palladian window in the center of the second story.

What’s most remarkable about Palladio and his now-famous window is that five centuries later, his work is still influencing the classical-style and neoeclectic home designs of today.

• Links for Custom Palladian Windows.
• Photos © the Pella Corporation
• Photos © iStockPhoto.com