About

The Center for Palladian Studies in America is a non-profit educational group organized to research, support, and promote understanding of Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and his influence in the United States.

The Center organizes symposia, lectures, and study tours on Palladian topics, publishes books and a periodical, sponsors exhibitions, and makes grants to scholars and UVA students studying Palladio.

Because CPSA is a 501 (c) (3) organization under the Internal Revenue Service, donations to the Center are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Founded in 1980 by the late Mario di Valmarana, of Charlottesville and Venice, CPSA was designed to educate students, architects, and lay people about the influence of Andrea Palladio on American architecture. Professor di Valmarana was director of the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Virginia (UVA) where he taught architecture for 28 years. He grew up spending the summers at the family home, Palladio’s Villa Capra in Vicenza, known as la Rotonda and received architectural degrees in Italy and the US.

1508-1580

The 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, one of the great masters of Renaissance culture, has had an enduring influence on American architecture.

His theories were introduced to America in the first half of the 18th century at such pioneering monuments as Drayton Hall in South Carolina, Mount Airy in Virginia, and Redwood Library in Rhode Island.

Colonial architects, including William Buckland, John Trumbull, and Thomas Jefferson began to incorporate into their designs forms and motifs inspired by Palladio’s great opus, Four Books on Architecture.

In the past, CPSA has contributed funds to the Architecture School’s Vicenza program. In 2018, CPSA initiated a scholarship program for students in the UVA School of Architecture to study in Vicenza. Here is the link to the application process.
CPSA Scholarship Program