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How did Donato Bramante connect the Vatican palaces with the Belvedere villa?
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Donato Bramante
Donato Bramante.
To connect the older Vatican palaces with the pre-existing villa of Pope Innocent VIII located on the hill above, Donato Bramante designed the immense Belvedere court, which he began in 1505.12
This complex was structured as a series of three levels terraced up the hillside, which were joined together by monumental stairs. To enclose the long sides of the court, Bramante utilized arcaded loggias featuring superimposed orders, a design choice that gave the space a neo-antique character reminiscent of imperial palaces in ancient Rome and the hippodromus on the Palatine Hill.21