There were four Classical (Greek) orders of architecture
(columns): Corinthian, Doric, Ionic, and Composite) and
one Roman order (Tuscan). These were used to show the lofty
ancestry of the nobility (sometimes even older than Adam
and Eve). Doric order showed simplicity (perhaps the palaces
of these aristocrats were somewhat rustic (illiterate
aristocrats). In any case, these outward signs of the
parvenu were important. Palladio was one of the first architects
during the Renaissance to use the Classical orders.
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