Five Days with Palladio

Travel notes from Italy

July 21, 2023

Two years ago, German photographer Sarah Willmeroth brought summer feelings by taking us along the French ocean side. Earlier this year, Willmeroth turned South again. Whilst traveling, she kept a diary on film, framing the work of the architect Palladio, his Villas, Piazzi, and day-to-day incidents in Italy.

Alfa Romeo in front of Hotel Al Castello, Bassano del Grappa

In early May I spent five days in the beautiful Veneto region in Italy, visiting some of Andrea Palladio’s palazzi and villas – some rolls of film, my beloved Yashica T5, and Nikon F3 with me.

I tried to capture the poetical beauty of Palladio’s work, mixed with everyday travel scenes, tourists, and toilets. The proportions, the perfect balance, and the picturesque setting of Palladio’s buildings made it a pleasure to photograph there.

It was a very spontaneous trip with my mum and aunt. We stayed in Bassano del Grappa (where Grappa originated from) for three nights and in Vicenza for the last two days. We were traveling by car, which makes it easier to reach all the Villas in the countryside.

My personal favorite was the abandoned Villa Rossi Valmarana in Lisiera, which is surrounded by statues in high grass, strongly reminding me of the choice of locations in Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by your name”.

Right next to it, you can take a coffee or drink at the “Bar da Nicola” which Ernest Hemingway apparently passed by during his stay in Italy.

Palladio (1508-1580) was one of the most influential architects in upper Italy in the Renaissance era. He started his career as a stonemason. He was strongly inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture and traveled to Rome several times for inspiration.

Goethe described him as a genius in his “Italian Journey”.