18th-Century Vicenza Culture: Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi

The 18th century in Vicenza produced scholars capable of transforming architecture into an instrument of interpretation and memory.

Among them, Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi stands out as one of the most refined figures of the period. He was born in 1719 into a modest family; his father worked as a barber, and the young Ottavio initially faced a future far from noble patronage or academic studies. His path shifted thanks to the interest of Marquis Capra, who recognized in him a sharp, curious and receptive mind.

With the marquis’s support, Ottavio attended Vicenza’s schools and gradually approached the world of architecture.

At that time, Vicenza preserved a remarkable testamentary legacy left by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. It consisted of a scholarship reserved for a poor but deserving young citizen, with a unique requirement: the recipient would adopt the surname Scamozzi as a symbolic continuation of the architect’s lineage. Thanks to his academic merit and to Capra’s protection, Ottavio was chosen and completed his architectural education, officially assuming the name Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi.

The scholarship provided only a modest income, and Bertotti accepted several positions within the municipal administration. One of these roles shaped his entire life: he served as custodian of the Teatro Olimpico, holding the official title of Janitor of the Theatre. The post gave him stability and constant contact with one of the most extraordinary architectural creations of the Renaissance. Alongside this civic duty, he designed works that enriched the city’s fabric: Palazzo Folco in Pusterla, San Faustino, Palazzo Muzzi in Piazza Matteotti, the façade of the Eretenio, and Villa Capra in Sarcedo. His architectural presence extended across Vicenza with discretion and clarity.

Only once did Bertotti leave the city for professional reasons—a journey to Piedmont to design a building in Casale Monferrato. For the rest of his life he lived in Vicenza, treating the city as a continuous workshop. His research focused on understanding the work of the architect he considered his supreme model: Andrea Palladio. In 1761 he published a slim but influential book, “Il forestiere istruito delle cose più rare in architettura e in pittura di Vicenza” (“The Instructed Foreigner on the Rarest Things in Architecture and Painting in Vicenza”), which circulated widely and offered visitors a learned guide to the city’s artistic treasures.

Between 1776 and 1783 he devoted all his energy to his most monumental project: the four-volume treatise “Le fabbriche e i disegni di Andrea Palladio” (“The Buildings and Designs of Andrea Palladio”), richly illustrated with plates, precise measurements and detailed surveys. For the first time in a systematic way, Bertotti documented the differences between Palladio’s drawings in the Four Books and the buildings actually constructed, explaining their technical and historical causes. His work remains one of the cornerstones of Palladian historiography.

In 1786, he guided an illustrious traveller through Vicenza: Johann Wolfgang Goethe, then journeying across Italy. The two formed an immediate intellectual connection. Goethe described Bertotti as “a talented and passionate artist with whom I would gladly spend an entire month for a swift course in architecture”. The remark revealed the European esteem that Bertotti had earned through accuracy, method and a profound sensitivity to Palladian form.

Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi died in 1790, leaving behind a city more aware of its architectural heritage.

His work, carried out quietly and with unwavering dedication, represents one of the highest moments of 18th-century Vicentine culture: a bridge between Palladian tradition and modern architectural scholarship, a voice of clarity in a century seeking new ways to read the past.

Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi is only one of the many reflections of the historical, cultural and artistic heritage that lives and breathes within our Palladian Lands of Beauty. One, but one of those unmissable ones.If you wish to truly step inside, here below you’ll find the passage that continues your exploration. Discover with us

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Article updated in 2026