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What are the three parts of a Palladian window?
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Andrea Palladio
Villa Rotonda, near Vicenza, Italy, by Andrea Palladio, 1550–51.
A Palladian window, also known as a Serlian or Venetian window, is an architectural unit composed of three distinct parts:123
- A large, arched central section12
- Two narrower, shorter flanking sections on either side, which typically feature square tops12
This design was inspired by the work of the 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, who famously utilized such three-part openings in his basilica at Vicenza. The motif was also described by the architect Sebastiano Serlio, leading to its alternative name, the Serlian motif.1