Abstract:The writings and buildings of Andrea Palladio are generally regarded as a milestone in architectural history. By inheriting classical Vitruvian theory and the Roman architectural legacy, as well as absorbing the ideas and practices of eminent humanists such as Alberti, Palladio made a meaningful contribution to the theory and practice of Renaissance architecture. Curiosity and creativity were the two most important features of his personality, making him “the most imitated architect in history”[1]19. His architectural treatise and design language remain relevant even after 500 years. Although Palladianism has set a standard that was disseminated and recognized worldwide, the Palladian tradition is still much less discussed and studied in China than in the West. To change this, the author of this paper organized an international seminar titled Palladio: From His Time to His Influences that was held in 2020 to provide young scholars with the opportunity to read and understand Palladio in greater depth. The eleven articles resulting from the seminar are published in this special issue. Here, the author summarizes these articles and high lights the new knowledge gained so that the reader gets a general sense of all the key aspects and the relationship between the articles.
