The RIBA is to offer a web service giving users access to more than 80% of Andrea Palladio’s surviving books and drawings.

The Palladio and Britain “web hub”, set up to commemorate the 500th birthday of the Italian architect, will allow visitors to learn about his influence on British architects.

Its launch on December 1 will come ahead of the Palladio exhibition which opens at London’s Royal Academy of Arts in January.

RIBA curator of drawings Charles Hind called the collection “a treasure trove of international importance.”