Palladian Days - by Sally Gable & Carl I Gable (Paperback)

About the Book

This delightful book for armchair and real travelers alike details the adventures of an American couple whose search for a summer home in New Hampshire ends up in Italy's Veneto region. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

A chronicle of an influential villa by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio that brings a sense of discovery to the Italian countryside and its larger national history. - "If a vacation in Italy this summer just isn't going to make the cut, this book might be the next best thing." --Chicago Tribune

In 1552, in the countryside outside Venice, the great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio built Villa Cornaro. In 1989, Sally and Carl Gable became its bemused new owners. Called by Town & Country one of the ten most influential buildings in the world, the villa is the centerpiece of the Gables' enchanting journey into the life of a place that transformed their own. From the villa's history and its architectural pleasures, to the lives of its former inhabitants, to the charms of the little town that surrounds it, this loving account delivers generosity, humor, and a sense of discovery.

"Palladian Days is nothing short of wonderful-part adventure, mystery, history, diary, and even cookbook. The Gables' lively account captures the excitement of their acquisition and restoration of one of the greatest houses in Italy. Beguiled by Palladio and the town of Piombino Dese, they trace the history of the Villa Cornaro and their absorption of Italian life. Bravo!" --Susan R. Stein, Gilder Curator and Vice President of Museum Programs, Monticello

Review Quotes

"If a vacation in Italy this summer just isn't going to make the cut, this book might be the next best thing." --Chicago Tribune

"The Gables have only lovely stories to tell about buying and living in one of Andrea Palladio's most influential, best-preserved, and largest villas." --The Boston Globe

"The Gables light up their story of acquiring a house in Italy with boldness and humor.... What would Palladio think? I'm sure he would be thrilled." --Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun

"A slice of Italian life not always so readily accessible to tourists." --The Christian Science Monitor

"[A] delightful mix of memoir, travel guide, and recipes." --Publishers Weekly

"Sally and Carl Gabel's sincerity and humor never fail them as they tell of their quest to understand Italian life and history, and to restore Palladio's villa to its full splendor." --Kim Williams, author of The Villas of Palladio

"I found it delightful. Taking on a Palladian villa and its upkeep is not something to be done lightly, but I learned a lot from the Gables, about Palladio, Venice, and American dreams. It is indeed a charming book." --Nancy Harmon Jankins, author of The Flavors of Tuscany, The Flavors of Puglia, and The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

"Timeless and completely modern.... Should be enjoyed while dreaming of the Venetian countryside, a tall glass of Prosecco in hand." --Forbes FYI

"Palladian Days lifts the notion of buying a summer house to dizzying and delightful new heights. Sally and Carl Gable's fascinating account reads like a fast-paced, marvelously satisfying adventure story." --John Berendt, national bestselling author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

"Fascinating.... Anyone who has ever fallen in love with a place or a building will immediately relate to Sally and Carl's fascinating adventure.... This is a book to be savored." --The Littleton Courier

About the Author

SALLY GABLE, a church music director by training, has served on the boards of Radcliffe College, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and other educational and musical organizations. CARL I. GABLE, a lawyer and businessman and the author of a book on Venetian glass, has served on the boards of the Spoleto Festival USA, the Atlanta Opera, the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University, and the Center for Palladian Studies in America. They divide their time between Atlanta and Villa Cornaro in Italy.