The palaces of Venice

Venice is home to a number of beautiful palaces that are worth visiting during a trip to the city.

Here are a few examples:

1. Doge's Palace: Located in the Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace is a grand Gothic palace that was once the home of the doges (rulers) of Venice. It is now a museum and features a number of artworks and historical artefacts, as well as a spectacular balcony that offers views over the Piazza.

2. Palazzo Grimani: This Renaissance-style palace, located in the San Polo district, is considered one of the finest examples of Venetian Renaissance architecture. It is now a museum and features a collection of art and artefacts from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

3. Palazzo Barbaro: Located in the San Marco district, this palace is home to a number of frescoes by Tiepolo and other artists. It is now a museum and is open to the public for guided tours.

4. Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti: Located in the San Polo district, this palace is home to a number of artworks and historical artifacts, as well as a beautiful garden. It is now a museum and is open to the public for guided tours.

5. Palazzo Dario: Located in the Dorsoduro district, this palace is known for its ornate façade and is considered one of the most beautiful palaces in Venice. It is now a private residence and is not open to the public.

These are just a few examples, and there are many other palaces worth visiting in Venice. It may also be helpful to ask locals or hotel staff for recommendations.

Other Palaces

Here are a few more palaces in Venice that are worth visiting:

1. Palazzo Mocenigo: Located in the San Stae district, this palace is now a museum and features a collection of art and artifacts related to the history of costume and fashion.

2. Palazzo Fortuny: Located in the San Marco district, this palace is now a museum and features a collection of art and artifacts related to the artist Mariano Fortuny.

3. Palazzo Grassi: Located in the San Marco district, this palace is now a museum and features a collection of contemporary art.

4. Palazzo Labia: Located in the Cannaregio district, this palace is now a museum and features a collection of art and artifacts related to the history of Venice.

5. Palazzo Loredan: Located in the San Polo district, this palace is now a museum and features a collection of art and artifacts related to the history of Venice.

A mini-guide to the most beautiful historic palaces in the city of Venice

In the intricate maze of narrow streets and canals that is the center of Venice, the different sestieri hide (although some are right in plain sight) wonderful historic Venetian palaces. Places that have made the city's history and contain priceless works of art, as well as different architectures that are extremely interesting.

1. Ca' Pesaro

Among the must-see palaces is necessarily Ca' Pesaro, a sumptuous building overlooking the Grand Canal completed in 1710, in the Santa Croce district. Its interior is then home to the International Gallery of Modern Art.

In this masterpiece of Venetian Baroque civic architecture, in particular, are such masterpieces as Rodin's The Thinker and Gustav Klimt's Judith II (Salome), among others. Finally, on the third floor of the palace you will find the Museum of Oriental Art, included in the tour.

Address: Santa Croce, 2076

Full ticket price: 14€ - see official website

2. Vendramin Palace

Or rather Ca' Vendramin Calergi, one of the most elegant palaces overlooking the Grand Canal, which has housed the Venice Casino since the 1950s. A historic palace in patrician Renaissance style, before becoming the heart of Venice's gaming and entertainment, it was the residence of doges as well as the composer Richard Wagner.

A true Venetian architectural jewel, it was not for nothing that Gabriele D'Annunzio described it as "A cloud effigy resting on water."

Address: Cannaregio, 2079

Admission price: 5€ (without services) or 10€ - see official website.

3. Ca' d'Oro

One of the best-known Venetian palaces is Ca' d'Oro, a 15th-century noble residence and one of the best examples of Venetian Gothic. Its name, as you can imagine, comes from the fact that the facade was once covered, in part, by gold elements and trim.

In addition to visiting the palace, I recommend going in for the Giorgio Franchetti Gallery, the remarkable art collection housed inside.

Address: Fondamenta Trapolin, 3932

Full ticket price: 8.50€ - see the official website.

4. Palazzo Grassi

In the sestiere San Marco we find Palazzo Grassi, an 18th-century civic building with a wide neoclassical facade on the Grand Canal. Inside the last palace built on the canal before the fall of the Republic of Venice, the grand staircase with its impressive frescoes is certainly noteworthy.

In addition to the various contemporary art exhibitions that follow one another, the François Pinault Collection, one of the five largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the world, is located here.

Address: Campo San Samuele, 3231

Full ticket price (integrated with Punta della Dogana): 18€ - see official website.

5. Ca' Rezzonico

Construction of Ca' Rezzonico was begun in the mid-17th century at the behest of the Bon family, but was completed over a century later thanks to Giorgio Massari (and the della Torre-Rezzonico family). A monumental project with a noble ornate facade overlooking the Grand Canal and an impressive ballroom decorated by multiple talented artists.

Inside is the 18th-century Venetian Museum, which spans all three floors, beginning with the grand grand staircase of honor. The tour is then joined by the Mestrovich collection (with the likes of Tintoretto and de' Pitati) and the Ai do San Marchi Pharmacy on the top floor.

Address: Dorsoduro, 3136

Full ticket price: 12€ - see official website.

6. Ca' Foscari

Also in the Dorsoduro sestiere, a short distance from Ca' Rezzonico, is another of the most beautiful Venetian palaces: Ca' Foscari, home of the university of the same name, among the oldest in the world. Before it became the Gothic Ca' Foscari that it is now, the same place was home to a somewhat different palace, the Casa delle Due Torri, which was a residence for the Gonzaga and Sforza families. Since it came into the possession of the Foscari family, the most important guests of the Serenissima were hosted here.

Two curiosities about this place:

thanks to its location, the view from this palace is so wide that it sweeps from the Rialto Bridge to the Accademia Galleries. For this reason, the second floor of Ca' Foscari was a favorite spot for many painters as a painting station.

In 2013, Ca' Foscari became the oldest building in the world to obtain the LEED sustainability certificate, thanks to its strict environmental management practices.

Address: Dorsoduro, 3246

Free guided tours every Saturday 2019 - see official website

7. Palazzo Mocenigo

Already existing in the 16th century but later renovated with a 17th-century imprint, Palazzo Mocenigo is one of the few historic Venetian palaces without overlooking a canal. On the first piano nobile, the palace preserves Rococo and neoclassical frescoes and furnishings and wonderful frescoed ceilings.

The museum of Palazzo Mocenigo then recounts in twenty rooms the life of the Venetian aristocracy, showing their precious clothes and antique accessories. In addition, the itinerary includes innovative rooms on perfume production.

Address: Santa Croce, 1992

Full ticket price: 10€ - see official website.

8. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo

I had already mentioned this palace, more in relation to its scale, as one of the 10 unusual things to see in Venice. This four-story late Gothic palace in the heart of the historic center is, in itself, fascinating, but the real star is the Contarini staircase.

A spiral staircase in this style was not such an original thing when it was built. The originality lies in the size; never had such a large one been built. In addition, there is an incredible view of the city from the top.

Address: Corte Contarina del Bovolo, 4303

Full ticket price: 7€ - open daily (h10-18)

9. Fontego dei Turchi Palace

One of the oldest buildings in Venice (we are talking about the 13th century), Palazzo Fontego is a typical example of an early medieval house-fondaco. It was, in the beginning, a large patrician residence, which was intended by the Serenissima for Turkish merchants in the early 17th century.

Today it is an extremely distinctive and interesting two-story palace, home to the Civic Museum of Natural History. In addition to exhibitions, displays and collections, the museum also includes one of the reference natural history libraries from international level.

Address: Holy Cross, 1730

Full ticket price: 8€ - see official website.

10. Fortuny Palace

The last of the Venetian palaces on the list (not by importance!) is Palazzo Fortuny, or also Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei. The palace was built in the 15th century at the behest of the Pesaro family, before they moved to Ca' Pesaro, and is an imposing building with a complex Venetian Gothic facade.

Here, too, there could only be an eponymous museum inside, whose collections range from photography to painting, sculpture to theater and fashion. A space created by an eclectic man, dedicated to experimentation, innovation and discovery in the field of art.

Address: San Marco, 3958

Full ticket price: 12€ - see the official website.