The Palazzo della Ca' d'Oro and Baron Franchetti in Venice

The Palace of the Ca' d'Oro

A story that almost ended badly

After being owned by the Contarini family, the Ca' d'Oro palace passed into the hands of the Marcello family and then into those of another noble family from Venice, the Loredan family.

But Napoleon Bonaparte having dealt a tragic blow to the glory and wealth of Venice in 1797, by brutally putting an end to more than a thousand years of independence, was not content with the dismantling of the Republic of Venice and sold the city to the Austrians in addition.

Vittore Carpaccio, Visitation at the Franchetti Ca' d'Oro Gallery in Venice, Italy

Carpaccio, "Visitation" - Ca' d'Oro This dark period in the occupation of Venice, first by the French and then by the Austrians, marked a sharp decline in the city as well as the almost total ruin of its economy.

Keeping the palaces of Venice in good condition, given the very specific conditions associated with the tides and salinity, required regular maintenance and restoration work, which became beyond the financial reach of their owners during this difficult period of military occupation.

Thus, Ca' d'Oro was sold in 1802 to a merchant by the name of Pozzi, who bought it as... “ruin”!

Titian, Venus in the Mirror at the Franchetti Gallery of the Ca' d'Oro in Venice, Italy

Titian, Venus - Ca' d'Oro In 1846, the Russian Prince Alexander Troubetzkoy bought it from the merchant Pozzi as a gift for the famous dancer Maria Taglioni.

With the Prince's financial resources, Maria Taglioni called on the architect Giovan Battista Meduna to restore the Ca' d'Oro.

Unfortunately this architect, totally insensitive to the nevertheless exceptional work of his predecessors, rushed not simply to restore the palace but to profoundly alter it.

Meduna had the well, magnificently sculpted by Zane and Bartolomeo Bon, removed from the courtyard, as well as the staircase in the same courtyard, created by Matteo dei Raverti.

The view of the Grand Canal from the Palazzo della Ca' d'Oro in Venice, Italy

The view from the Palazzo della Ca' d'Oro He also took the liberty of substituting certain marbles and committed many other sacrileges, which were just as unforgivable.

In 1894, the Baron Franchetti became the owner of the Ca' d'Oro and did his utmost to try and restore the palace to its original state.

To do this, he went so far as to buy back from Venetian antique dealers the parts of the Ca' d'Oro that had been sold during the “destructive” work carried out by Giovan Battista Meduna.

Baron Franchetti is also responsible for the magnificent collection of works of art (paintings, furniture, marbles, bronzes, etc.) now housed in the Ca' d'Oro, which became a museum following the donation Baron Franchetti made to the State in 1916.

Thank you, Baron!

History In Gold | On the Water | Construction | Franchetti | Lace | Beauty
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