Belvedere (structure)

A belvedere /ˈbɛlvɪdɪər/ or belvidere (from Italian for "fair view") is an architectural structure sited to take advantage of a fine or scenic view.[1] While a belvedere may be built in the upper part of a building, the actual structure can be of any form, whether a turret, a cupola, or an open gallery.[2] Or it may be a separate pavilion in a garden, or the term may be used for a paved terrace with a good viewpoint, but no actual building.

For other uses, see Belvedere (disambiguation).
Belvederes atop Blenheim Palace
Pashkov House crowned with a belvedere (Moscow, Russia)

It may also be used for a whole building, as in the Belvedere, Vienna, a huge palace, or Belvedere Castle, a folly in New York.

Examples

On the hillside above the Vatican Palace, (circa 1480-1490), Antonio del Pollaiuolo built a small pavilion (casino in Italian) named the palazzetto or the Belvedere for Pope Innocent VIII. Some years later Donato Bramante linked the Vatican with the Belvedere, under a commission from Pope Julius II by creating the Cortile del Belvedere ("Courtyard of the Belvedere"), in which stood the Apollo Belvedere, among the most famous of antique sculptures. This began the fashion in the 16th century for the belvedere.

See also

General references
  • Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements History and Meaning. Oxford, UK: Westview Press. pp. 342–3. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.

Citations
  1. "Belvedere". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. "Belvedere bell ve DEER". Illustrated Architecture Dictionary. buffaloah.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  • The dictionary definition of belvedere at Wiktionary
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