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In early sixteenth century, it was the architecture of palaces that contributed to the development of Mannerist concepts of architecture. Raphael's plan for the Villa Madama marked the point of departure; his palaces for his friend Branconio d'Aquila and Giulio Romano's Villa Lante were the landmark achievements in this development in Rome.
Raphael received the commission to design the Villa Madama in 1517-18. This villa, probably the most important of the High Renaissance, proved a unique expression of the Age of Humanism, with its archeological studies of ancient monuments and their descriptions, the adoption of classical ways of life and the performance of classical plays.
Work on Villa Madama proceeded slowly after the death of Raphael in 1520. Most of the efforts were devoted to painting the few rooms that had been built, and constructing more terraces. The building itself, which had been started just a few years before in the expectation that it would become the supreme symbol of humanist culture, turned into a mere classical backdrop for antique sculptures.
The picture shows the garden façade of the villa.
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