Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/472

This page needs to be proofread.

PALLADIUS


424


PALLADIUS


Andrea Palladio


of this basilioa arc his most famous work. His Arco di Trioiifo, also at \'icenza, is even now the best modern imitation of a Roman triumphal arch. A fine sense of proportion, combined with scholarly refine- ment and fertility of invention, characterizes the palaces of Viccnza, where PalUwlio had a free hand. He was a favourite of society in and about Vicenza, and was therefore a most prolific designer of vilhis. Few of these were ever completed, many have been changed or dismantled, and nearly all have lost the environment of gardens and accessories which were a necessary part of the composition. All are, however, stately, spacious and airy, effec- tive in mass, dignified in do- tail, and free from affectation. Two standard types are the Villa Capra, in the environs of Vicenza, and the MUa Giacomelli at Treviso.

Only three sacred buildings are surely his work, the small chapel near the last-named villa, and the churches of San Giorgio (1565) and II Redentore (be- gun, 1576, fin- ished after his death) at Venice. These two churches are cruciform, with aisles, crossing-domes, and apsidal terminations to choirs and transepts. The interiors are cold, power- ful, and spacious; the exteriors are frankly structural, of inferior materials, with serai-circular, lead-covered domes, and with no ornamentation except in thef agades. Palladio may be taken as the representative of a wholesome reaction against the decadent tendencies of his age, and may be said to have fixed good archi- tectural style for many succeeding centuries. Al- though in France a more meretricious taste prevailed, represented by Lescaut and by De I'Orme in England, through Inigo Jones, Palladio became so much the controlling spirit that the English style of the seven- teenth centurj' is now known as "Palladian". Nat- urally, the Georgian architecture of the United States develops directly from Palladio through the later masters who followed Inigo Jones. Palladio's writ- ings, particularly "Le Antichit^ di Roma" and the " (^uattro Libri dell' Architettura ", did more than any- thing else to spread his influence over Europe: many editions were published in Italy between 1554 and 1042. They were widely translated, and in England Inigo Jones acted as editor and commentator.

ScAMOzzi. L' Architecture Univerval' (Hi'jl); Gualdo, Vita di Andrea Palladio (1749) ; Temanza, Vitidi A.nlr.a I'atladio (1702- 1778); MlLlziA, Mcmorie degli ArchU- ri i 17,^1); rr. Crecy, Lites of Celebrated Architects (London, 182GK .Ma(;rini. DelV Architet- tura in Vicenza (1845) ; Bcrchkhardt. Die Renaissance in Italien (1867) ; Baricheela, Andrea Palladia e la sua Scuola (1880); GooDTEAB. Renaissance and Modern Art (New York, 1894) ; Fletcheb, Arulrea PaUadio (London, 1902).

Ralph Adams Cham.

Palladius, Saint, first bishop sent by Pope Celes- tine to Ireland (431). The chronicle of the contempo- rary St. Prosper of Aquitaine presents two important entries relating to Palladius. Under date of 429 it has ".Agricola, a Pelagian, son of Severianus, a Pelagian bishop, corrupted the churches of Britain by the in- sinuation of his doctrine; but at the instance of the Deacon Palladius (ad actionem Palladii Diaconi) Pope


Celestine .sends Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, as his reprrsenlativc to root out heresy and direct the Brit- ons Ici the Catholic Faith". .'Vgain under date of 431, in tli(> eonsuLsliip of Bassus and Antiochus: " Palladius was consecrated by Pope Celestine and sent to the Scots believing in Christ, as their first bishop" (Ad Scotos in Christum credentes, ordiiKitur a Pajia Celes- tino Palladius et primus episcopus niillitur). In his work against Cassian, St. Prosper (•(unpcndiates both entries: "Wherefore the Pontiff Celestine of venerable memory, to whom the Lord ga\c many gifts of His grace for safeguarding the Catholic Church, knowing that for those who are already condemned, the remedy to be applied is not a further judicial inquiry but only repentance, gave instructions for Celestius, who asked for a further hearing in a matter already settled, to be driven from the borders of all Italy . . . with no less jealous care he delivered Britain from the same dis- ease, when he drove even from that hidden recess of the ocean some enemies of Grace who were settling in their native soil; and by ordaining a bishop for the Irish (Scolis), whilst he laboured to keep the Roman Island Catholic, he made also the barbarous Island Christian." The words in the second entry of the chronicle "to the Scots believing in Christ" can only have the meaning that when the chronicle was being written in 447, the Irish had become a Christian people.

Some writers with Dr. Todd regard Palladius as deacon of St. Germanus, but it appears more probable that he held the high rank of Deacon of Rome; it can hardly be supposed that a Deacon of Auxerre would exercise such influence in Rome as that assigned to Palladius, and it is in accordance with St. Prosper's usage to indicate the Roman deacon by the simple title diaconus. Thus in the chronicle we have frequent en- tries such as "Hilarius Diaconus", "loannes Dia- conus", "Leo Diaconus", which invariably refer to the deacons of Rome. The seventh century life of St. Patrick by Muircu Maccumacthenus in the "Book of Armagh" expressly st3des Palladius "Archidiaconus Papa; Coelestini urbis Romae Episcopi", repeated in several of the other lives of St. Patrick. Ussher regis- ters the tradition long current in England that Palla- dius was born in Britain and that he had combated the Pelagian heresy there. The Bollandists are also of the opinion that he was "a Briton by birth ". The Pal- ladii, however, were reckoned among the noblest fami- lies of France and several of them held high rank about this time in the Church of Gaul. These conflicting opinions may perhaps be reconciled. Under Julian the Apostate there was a Palladius holding prominent rank in the army of Gaul, who, for his fearless profes- sion of the Faith, was exiled into Britain. We may easily suppose that the scion of such a privileged Gallo-Brit- ish family would attain the position of Deacon of Rome, would take much interest in the British Church, and, would by his familiarity with the Celtic lan- guage, be qualified to undertake the mission of first bishop to the Irish. Palladius is honoured in the Scot- tish calendar on 6 July. The Aberdeen Breviary de- scribes him as "pontificem et fidei Catholica; aposto- lum pariter et doctorem". In some ancient records he is styled a martyr, probably because of the hardships endured during his missionary career in Ireland.

Palladius landed in the territory of the Hy-Garchon, on the strand where the town of Wicklow now stands, then occupied by the tribe of Cualann who have left their name on the beautiful valley of GlencuUen, seven miles distant from the spot where Palladius landed. The chieftain of the district had no welcome for the missionaries. However some of the tribe appear to have extended a better measure of kindness to them and at least three churches were in after times assigned as the result of Palladius's mission. The Life of St. Patrick, already referrefl to, records the failure of the mis- sion: "Palladius was ordained and sent to convert this