mit press: of even greater significance than PALLADIO’S buildings is his treatise i quattro libri dell’architettura (the four books on architecture), the most successful architectural treatise of the renaissance and one of the two or three most important books in the literature of architecture. first published in italian in 1570, it has been translated into every major western language. the first book discusses building materials and techniques, as well as the five orders of architecture: tuscan, doric, ionic, corinthian, and composite. palladio describes the characteristics of each order and illustrates them. the second book discusses private town houses and country estates, almost all designed by palladio. the third book discusses streets, bridges, piazzas, and basilicas, most of ancient roman origin. the fourth book discusses ancient roman temples, including the pantheon.
