Customer Reviews

Palladian Days: Finding a New Life in a Venetian Country House

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As an old house renovator, I found much to love about this story of an American couple who buys a 450-year-old Italian villa for their summer home. They face many of the same issues all old house owners do - how do you modernize, how do you repair without compromising the historic integrity of the structure?

This book has elements for fans of travel, Italy, art, architecture, history and home renovation. While I'm normally not a fan of nonfiction, I wasn't bored for a moment by this fascinating book. The portrait they paint of Italian life and the amazing historic villa make me want to book a flight and go there right now.

Review of "Palladian Days" by Julia Rush.
As former owners of the Villa Cornaro - which Sally and Carl write about so enthusiastically, interestingly, and in detail in their new book "Palladian Days" concerning among other things, the problems which arose during their ownership, we are pleased to see how well they have managed.. They have handled problems well (roof and back balcony and scorpions, etc.) and we chose them among the several prospective buyers because we knew that they would be able to handle any emergency that arose and that they would fit into the town and had the necessary funds and would obtain the knowledge necessary to do maintenance and repairs properly. They have been more perfect than we could expect - and in the sixteen years (since 1989) that they have owned the Villa they have maintained it perfectly, done repairs and restorations as needed, opened the Villa to the public, and all of the town loves them and appreciates what they do and their friendly attitude. Sally took the trouble to learn Italian immediately, and this got her off to a good start. Carl has, I believe, lectured on the Villa Cornaro (as Richard had also done for twenty years while he owned it) and Palladio and the influence of the great architect, and they have a marvelous web page - with an amazing amount of history of the Villa including pictures, and other major Villas by Palladio and the Cornaro family. Carl has also written a very good book on Murano Glass. Sally and Carl's research on the Cornaro family, the Villa Cornaro and Palladio and other villas and beautiful Venice (which comes out in the book as well as the web pages) amazes me and we are quite proud of them for it.
My husband, Richard Rush, purchased the Villa Cornaro from the Italian government (L'Ente per le Ville Venete) in 1969, after a year of negotiation and with letters of recommendation from several of our friends, "The Richest American", the late J. Paul Getty, who was restoring a villa near Rome, and Richard's friend, the Secretary of Commerce, C. R. Smith, and Count Giorgio Geddes de Filcaia, whose family owned a 250 room palace near Florence and who was a friend of Richard's for some years because of his interest in automobiles - especially Ferrari. He translated our proposal, and it was perhaps because of him we became interested in living in Italy, although we had been collecting Italian art and antiques for a number of years, had written in the field and my favorite city is Venice..
The Villa which had been used as a school for young children and was purchased by the Italian government(L'Ente Per Le Ville Venete) to keep it from further damage, was in need of restoration - of all new electric wiring, all new plumbing, new baths, new kitchen equipment, and the glass in the leaded glass windows was broken, the metalwork on gates needed restoration, the gardens were over-run, there were posters pasted on the front garden wall, there was a door put where it shouldn't be and no doors where there should be on porches and stairways.
There was much to be done and there was a great deal of dust and dirt. There was also no furniture or lighting fixtures. We were able, fortunately, to restore the Villa and bring it back to its former beauty over a period of twenty years and to furnish it with fine Italian antiques, chairs, tables, armadios, etc.,including some beautiful Venetian chandeliers, and a painting of Saint Anthony of Padua. Some fine antique pieces were stolen (in four break-ins) but we put in less valuable but suitable antiques and an alarm system - and kept adding.
Living in the villa was to me a great and joyful experience and I can relive many things as I read Sally's new book ...from her visits to the nearby towns, and Florence and Rome, to the Saturday market, to each room of the Villa and every store, shop, and family on Via Roma.
I highly recommend the book for those who love Venice and Italy and Palladio, and would like to experience this along with Sally and Carl. Sally even gets great recipes from dear friends of mine (now hers) and shares them with her readers. As she notes in the book, I am not a great cook, but Richard and I loved being invited to the homes of our neighbors and enjoying Silvana Miolo's cooking at the little Caffe Palladio across the street from the Villa. When we entertained at the Villa, Silvana and her family would serve the dinner (or party dishes when we had a reception,) in the great hall or dining room of the Villa.
When we returned to Piombino Dese for the wedding of Wilma Scquizzato and Paolo Melchiori (Wilma is the daughter of our dear friends, Memi and Francesca Scquizzato), Sally Gable met us, with Francesca Scquizzato (whose granddaughter is named for me) and Maria Rosa Pancolini, (whose son is named for Richard), at the Venice airport and invited us to stay at the Villa. Sally gave us a prosecco party, and asked Silvana to prepare a dinner for us which was served in the beautiful formal dining room with the Noah frescoes. The Villa looked beautiful. The antiques were all there - and most were as we had placed them - and she had created a new kitchen which is magnificent (mine had been very simple) and also she was able to purchase Oriental carpets for the Villa - which are very suitable. She also created a family room upstairs, with comfortable furniture, and added a tub to the downstairs bath, which I wish we had thought of. We were distressed to hear of the trouble with scorpions, and the later roof problems and porch problem as we thought everything was perfect, but we knew that the Gables would be able to handle whatever emergency arose - and they did! They also have children who love the Villa.
Do enjoy the book, "Palladian Days" and relive the life in a Palladian villa that she and Carl (and Richard and I) have lived and enjoyed. It is magical. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the Villa and the town and Italy.
And do visit the Villa yourself if you are in Venice - or Padua or en route to Bassano - as it is not far away and is open on Saturday afternoons, May - September, or by appointment to a group of ten or more throughout the year. Or, perhaps, you visited a number of years ago when we were there.
Auguri e saluti!

If home ownership is the American dream, dual home ownership is beyond the wildest dreams of most Americans. A second home --- in the mountains, by the lake, on the beach --- is the ultimate luxury. Or is it? What if your second home is a famous, historic, important palazzo in a small town in Italy, just twenty miles from Venice? Now that sounds like a dream come true.

A piece of Italian history is not what Sally Gable set out to buy. She was thinking more along the lines of a summer home in New England, a place for family and friends to gather away from their busy lives in Atlanta. But a New York Times real estate ad caught her eye, and before she knew it she and her husband Carl were walking up the steps to the impressive 425-year-old Villa Cornaro in Piombino Dese, Italy. It seems Villa Cornaro was destined to be theirs.

In PALLADIAN DAYS Sally Gable shares the joys and frustrations of owning a home considered one of the ten most influential buildings in the world. And, as one can imagine, the joys are numerous and the frustrations plenty. PALLADIAN DAYS recounts the purchase of the villa in the late 1980s and discusses the history of the home and its complicated upkeep, as well as life for Sally in Piombino Dese.

The price of purchasing Villa Cornaro (never revealed in the book) was only the first obstacle for the Gables. After they financed the purchase they learned that the Italian government still had a chance to deny them the right to own it. Once the property was legally theirs, the real work started and the hidden costs became obvious. The house did not have a modern operational kitchen, there was no heat, it had tricky electrical wiring, and it was infested with scorpions. Plus, it was hard to find a competent gardener. But the tenacious Gable worked hard to make Villa Cornaro a livable home while preserving its historical integrity. She made friends in Piombino Dese and found many in her community who could help her care for the house.

Why such fuss for a big old house? Villa Cornaro was designed by the important Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, whose work is still influential and copied today. The Gables are only the sixth family since its construction in 1552 to reside in Villa Cornaro, which is named for the Cornaros, one of the most powerful families in Italian history. PALLADIAN DAYS, although short and not a scholarly work, is full of information about the house, Andrea Palladio, and the Cornaro family.

Gable also writes about adjusting to life in her new surroundings, cultural differences and language barriers, and even shares her favorite Italian recipes. She seems to want to focus on the question of why she felt so drawn to devote her energy and resources to Villa Cornaro and spends some time in the beginning of the book on this theme, but she never really reaches any conclusion and the idea fades as the story continues.

While PALLADIAN DAYS is interesting and well-written, it may not appeal to everyone. Those interested in Italian architecture and/or history probably will appreciate this book the most. Gable seems generally humble and appreciative of her good fortune, but it may be off-putting for some to read about living in such circumstances (Gable never discloses dollar amounts for the upkeep of the house, although she and her husband do rent it out for artistic performances, movie filming, tours and the like in order to help pay to maintain it). Others, however, will be swept up in Sally Gable's dream come true.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Sitting on a slow train thirty years ago I passed a unpainted house in the Palladian style with carved bull's skulls alternating with targets. I remember it vividly today. I wondered what it would be like to own and live in a Palladian house. It seemed a shame such a majestic house was not better kept. The style has instant appeal and that is why its popularity has been so persistent.

As an Atlantan I wondered about an Atlanta couple, the Gables, who bought one of Palladio's masterpieces. Other reviewers have chaffed that they lack the money for such an endeavor. I would say that what the Gables took on was a commitment beyond me and they have the intelligence, drive and understanding to maintain, share and preserve the house.

Francis Mayes, another Georgian, is a better writer. But Sally Gable is very readable and I admired her adventures. I really liked reading this book because it immerses the reader in the setting, town life, cultural affairs, local politics, trials and tribulations of keeping up a monumental house and the pleasures of visitors, acquaintances and family. This is a book about selecting the right dream, following the dream and enhancing the experience. Anyone who will travel to Italy to visit Venice or Palladian homes will gain a travel guide from this book.

I bought this for a friend last week and after she finished it I stole it back. I absolutely loved it. I have visited Italy twice myself and everything written in this book totally reminded me of it. It is basically about two people (Americans) who buy an insanely famous Italian villa built in 1552. This covers the years since then and the sometimes hillarious things that have happened to them. This is mixed with historical detail about the architect Andrea Palladio and the Cornaro family who commissioned him to build it. I guarantee you will love this book and probably laugh just as loud as I did. Also try the risotto recipies in the back. The one I tried so far was brilliant. My friends think I invented it.

Any fine old house one chooses to restore immediately turns into a money pit--all the more so a historic Palladian villa in the Veneto. Thank goodness there are people able to do it--and to write about it in as engaging a manner as Sally Gable. With the restoration project comes a whole new life for the Gables, complete with new friends, hosts of visitors, and Venetian country recipes. This is a delightful book for anyone acquainted with this unique part of Italy or planning to become acquainted with it.

It takes a lot of determination to do what the Gables (and the Rushes before them) did. They bought not just any villa in Italy, but one of the supreme villas by one of the most noted Renaissance architects. Owning this house becomes a career and the Gables shoulder it with love. The book has many b & w photos, but for a better look, Google "Palladio" (boglewood should appear in the top links) for color photos which are more striking. This site, by the Gable's son, has even more info on Palladio and his villas.

Each morning it takes 30 minutes to open the 44 heavy shutters and another 30 to bolt them at night. The Gables hire someone who can make the rounds in 20 minutes. Other needs of the house: a working kitchen, leaks in the roof and moisture in the floor, rewiring (I think it took 3 weeks), scorpion irradication (which is minimized in text but took 3 years), a conversion from septic to city sewage similary take time and outside help.

While two authors are credited, it is clearly Sally's voice. The book is divided into short essays, each devoted to a topic. Many of them stand on their own, and could be published elsewhere for other purposes. For instance, the visit to the archives, clearly makes readers appreciate the research that goes into historical writing. Other vignettes describe friends, Venetian glass, the Cornaros, the frescoes, other Palladio villas at a visit from Bob Vila etc.

We learn that actual costs are higher or lower than estimates or expectations but there are no stated amounts. Whatever the costs, it's clear, to embark on such a project you need devotion, flexibility and deep pockets.

This is a delightful book. If you are not interested in Palladian architecture when you start it, you will be when you're done.

Informative, amusing, thoughtful, analytic, on occasion sentimental - strikes a perfect balance, a great pleasure to read - unforgettable . . .

Story in brief: Upon stumbling by chance over a classified advertisement Sally goes nuts over the idea of buying an Italian historic monument on sale, a real Palladian villa she can scarcely afford. The grand place is on sale and Sally gets really obsessed over it - she manages to drag her beloved, nonchalant, husband Carl into this too. A noble obsession indeed; Sally eventually overcomes all obstacles and succeeds in making her dream come true: she manages to buy the thing, and the rest is history. No, this is no fiction. Sally and Carl Gable are real persons. American, too - (sigh . . . .).

The book provides a lively and very personal account of the Gables' adventure of taking hold of the renowned Villa Cornaro, built by Andrea Palladio in 1552 for the wealthy Venetian patrician Giorgio Cornaro, the restoration jobs they had to undertake, their process of adapting to life within a rural Italian community, making friends, Veneto adventures and misadventures, history, local customs, culinary delights - and what have you. Along the way the reader gets a lot of information on the villa itself, its immediate surroundings and its history, as well as an overall historic and local background.

I ordered Sally's book almost as an afterthought, bundled to my order of Palladio's "The Four Books on Architecture" (translated by Robert Tavernor) and Tavernor's own "Palladio and Palladianism" (two absolute "musts" on the subject of Palladian architecture, along with Vitruvius' "The Ten Books on Architecture"). That proved to be a lucky day. Sally & Carl Gable's book details original Palladian architecture as seen from the perspective of the actual inhabitants of the architect's creation, and its surrounding community and history - a rare human-centric first-hand account, perfectly complementing scholarly publications on the subject. Informative, interesting and lively, never a boring moment, a lot to learn, a joy to read.

When you are sad that a book is over, you know it has been a great book . . . .

Highly recommended (if that has not been apparent from the above).

Three comments about this work, which I like. First, it is a cleanly written testament to the ability of ample resources (time, focus, commitment, money) to make significant contributions to the physical and social fabric of the cultural continuum. Second, it is just as much a romance as anything a Broadway composer ever saluted, save that the romance is not between boy and girl but between a high-energy American couple very much of our times (Sally and Carl Gable of Atlanta, Georgia) and a Palladian villa whose needs make it vulnerable and whose historic beauty makes it irresistible (Villa Cornaro in Piombino Dese, the Veneto). Third, the "voice" of the book does not succumb to the usual traps of attempting to be either too academic for the purpose or too sentimental for the intellectual comfort of the uninvolved.

Rather, this is a straightforward, clear-eyed account of the relationship between the Gables and the villa and what each has brought to the other in the almost two decades since Sally first read the fateful ad in the New York Times. One of the most appealing aspects of the book is the way in which it presents the citizenry of Piombino Dese, not as eccentrics with lovable or irritating idiosyncrasies (as is so often the approach in such works), but as real people attempting to retain connections and customs that matter to them even as they inevitably bridge old socioeconomic patterns and new.

This is, in short, not a book for those looking for a cozy account of "ooh, sweet couple buy really nifty house and live happily ever after (although they appear to have done so)." Nor will it appeal to those seeking a professionally comprehensive history of Palladio, Palladian houses, the Veneto, and modern-day Italian politics. For those, however, who see important architecture as the embodiment in concrete form of the spirit of civilization past and its preservation and adaptive use as a test of civilization present, this book is a fascinating read, as much for what it leaves between the lines as for what went upon the printed page.

I enjoyed the book. I think anyone who's really into Italy or architecture will find it worthwhile.

The introductory remarks set the tone of this book. The Gables were thinking of buying a summer home in the eastern U.S., and ended up with an architecturally significant villa outside of Venice!
Their joys and trials of renovating the villa in a small town with limited BUT ENDEARING craftsmen is wonderful. Sharing their adventures and acceptance in this small town are a joy to anyone who has ever visited the such towns of Italy.The characters are unforgettable, not to mention the honor of living in a Palladian home.
Thanks to the Gables.