Ca' d'Oro - Venezia, Italy
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denben
N 45° 26.451 E 012° 20.044
33T E 291502 N 5035382
The Ca' d'Oro is one of the most famous palaces of the Grand Canal in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venezia, Italy. It is now an art museum.
Waymark Code: WMX1K5
Location: Veneto, Italy
Date Posted: 11/13/2017
Views: 3
One of the oldest palaces of the city, it is known as Ca' d'Oro ("golden house") due to the golden and polychrome exterior decorations that once adorned its walls.
The palace was built between 1428 and 1430 for the Contarini family, who provided Venice with eight Doges between 1043 and 1676. The architects of Ca' d'Oro were Giovanni Bon and his son Bartolomeo Bon.
After the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, the palace changed owners several times. A 19th century owner, the ballet dancer Marie Taglioni, removed (in what today can be considered an act of vandalism) the Gothic stairway from the inner courtyard and destroyed the ornate balconies overlooking the courtyard.
In 1894, the palace was acquired by its last owner, Baron Giorgio Franchetti; throughout his life, he amassed an important art collection and personally oversaw its extensive restoration, including the reconstruction of the stairway and the Cosmatesque courtyard with ancient marbles. In 1916, Franchetti bequeathed the Ca' d'Oro to the Italian State.
Today Ca' d'Oro, after a deep restoration, has been transformed into a museum and houses a beautiful art collection belonging to Baron Giorgio Franchetti.
In this Venetian Gothic palace, visitors can admire many paintings of the Venetian school, including the famous San Sebastiano by Andrea Mantegna and other masterpieces of the Tuscan and Flemish schools, as well as small and wonderful bronze statues and sculptures of the Renaissance. Ca 'Duodo, annexed to Ca' d'Oro, houses a remarkable collection of ceramics found in the lagoon of Venice.
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