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In its showpieces the Gothic of the early Quattrocento became increas-
ingly ornate. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, however, a growing
enthusiasm for the legacy of antiquity encouraged the introduction of
rounded arches and classical ornament.77 At first these two styles coex-
isted harmoniously, but with the arrival of the printed treatise in the
16th century, the theory of the classical orders grew in authority until
the Gothic heritage finally died out. The Roman-orientated classicism of
Sansovino, Serlio, and Sanmicheli, initiated during the dogeship of Doge
Andrea Gritti, provided the perfect language for the Republic’s bold asser-
tion of its Roman roots and constitution (Fig. 20.5). Later in the century,
Palladio’s more idealized and monumental interpretation of antiquity cre-
ated a new paradigm that was to command respect and emulation for
the rest of the lifetime of the Republic. In the Seicento, Longhena’s con-
fident Baroque syntax reinterpreted Palladio’s legacy in a more dynamic
vein (Fig. 20.6).78 Finally, in the 18th century a Palladian version of neo-
classicism created demure exteriors combined with decorative Rococo
interiors. Following the fall of the Republic in 1797, the classicism of the
Academy continued to dominate the public’s critical perspective.79
It was to be the publication of John Ruskin’s The Stones of Venice (1851–
53) that would revolutionize the public’s view of Venetian architecture.80
Ruskin unashamedly adopted a standpoint in direct opposition to aca-
demic classicism. Indeed, he deplored the architecture of Palladio, seen
as the paragon ever since the architect’s own death in 1580. To justify his
personal preference for Venetian Gothic architecture, Ruskin created a
historical framework that viewed the Renaissance as a period of moral
decline. While his version of history is now regarded as subjective and
warped, his architectural criticism remains a formidable legacy.
77 John McAndrew, Venetian Architecture of the Early Renaissance (Cambridge, Mass./
London, 1980); Ralph Lieberman, Renaissance Architecture in Venice 1450–1540 (London,
1982); Concina, Tempo novo.
78 See Andrew Hopkins, “Venezia e il suo dominio,” in Aurora Scotti Tosini, ed., Storia
dell’Architettura Italiano: il Seicento (Milan, 2003), pp. 400–23; Andrew Hopkins, Baldassare
Longhena (Milan, 2006); and Augusto Roca De Amicis, ed., Storia dell’architettura nel Veneto:
Il Seicento (Venice, 2008). These works build on and supersede Bassi, Architettura.
79 The need for measured surveys led to the lavish two-volume work Leopoldo Cicognara,
Antonio Diedo, and Giovanni Antonio Selva, Le fabbriche più conspicue di Venezia, 2 vols
(Venice, 1815–20), containing large-format engravings of the plans, elevations, and sections
of the most prominent historic buildings in Venice.
80 John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice, 3 vols (London, 1851–53). See also Robert Hewison,
Ruskin on Venice: “The Paradise of Cities” (New Haven/London, 2009).