Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), a cosmopolitan figure with rural roots, was a master of the knowledge of his time. He drafted The Declaration of Independence (1776), and thus founded a new view of the proper relation between governed and government. Jefferson was the architect of the new America, not just in a political sense, but in a literal sense as well. Architecture had an important place in his personal and public agenda. A self-taught architect, Jefferson buildings are amongst America's most famous: Monticello, the Virginia State Capitol and the University of Virginia are the starting points of American classical architecture. Jefferson was guided by his admiration for Palladio's Four Books on Architecture, which provided him with key architectural forms and ideas. Palladio showed him how the admired building types of the ancient Romans could be adapted to modern purposes and provide a rational, harmonious framework for living and for building a new society. Contributions by: James Ackerman, Guido Beltramini, Bruce Boucher Catherine Maumi, Richard Guy Wilson, Giovanna Capitelli, Mario Guderzo, Damiana Lucia Paterno, Travis McDonald. Photography by Filippo Romano.