A letter to President Biden to advocate a cause: for the United States to declare as national monuments the works on American soil inspired by Andrea Palladio. According to the “Amici dei Monumenti nazionali” (“Friends of National Monuments”) this could also reinforce the bond between Vicenza and the USA, under the sign of a figure like Palladio, who connects Vicenza and the US. Therefore, the association took pen and paper and wrote to President Biden, launching an appeal also supported by the Vicenza tourism promotion consortium.
The letter reads: “Dear Mr. President, in the city of Vicenza, Italy, there are many people passionate about national monuments and natural landmarks. After following the procedure to register the works of the architect Andrea Palladio in Vicenza on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994 and the Palladian villas in the Veneto region in 1996, we supported the candidacy of the Basilica Palladiana, symbol of our city, as a national monument, as well as that of the Ponte Vecchio, the Palladian bridge in Bassano del Grappa. Now we are beginning the same procedure for the famous Olympic Theater, the oldest indoor theater in the world.
Since in 2010 the Congress of the United States of America recognized Palladio’s "tremendous influence on architecture in the United States", we wonder if it would be possible for the numerous works built in the Palladian style in your country (such as the White House, the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Drayton Hall, Homewood, Miles Brewton House, Poplar Forest, Redwood Library, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial) to also be declared national monuments. Vicenza also hosts two American military bases, Camp Ederle and Camp Del Din, and as such, this act could contribute to further deepen the relationship between our communities. Since it is the sole responsibility of the President of the United States of America, we kindly ask if you could consider issuing a decree, officially declaring the Palladian-inspired monuments in the USA as national monuments. Thank you in advance, and we are at your disposal to provide more information on the matter”.
The request is made in the context of a strong relationship between Vicenza and the USA, evidenced by the presence of American military bases on Vicenza's soil, symbols of integration and collaboration between the American and the Vicentine communities.
