The Stunning Ca' D'Oro In Venice

The Ca' d'Oro is one of the most famous and most beautiful palaces in Venice and certainly a highlight within the city. It is the most celebrated palazzo on the Grand Canal and an excellent example of Venetian Gothic architecture. Ca' is short for “casa”, meaning house, and all of the great homes of the city were once called this as, in the past, the word “palazzo” was reserved for the Ducal Palace alone.

“D'Oro”, meanwhile, means “golden” and the palace was so named as it once had, and became famous for having, an incredible gilded facade. While said gilded facade is, sadly, no longer intact, the building remains a famous tourist attraction and one of the most celebrated of all palaces in the city, and for good reason.

Once you have found a vacation rental in Venice, be sure to drop by.

Now a small art museum, Ca' d'Oro was originally built between 1420 and 1434 for a rich Venetian, Marino Contarini. The finished product immediately caused a stir and stunned with its white and coloured-marble clad facade, gilding on the window traceries and carvings, ultramarine paint and varnished red Verona marble - all of which created a rather striking effect.

Sadly, in the 19th century, the gem box of a building came into the possession of the ballerina Marie Taglioni, who proceeded to gut the place and throw out many of the palace's original features.

The art collector Baron Giorgio Franchetti made admirable efforts to restore the property when he took ownership later on and passed on the beautiful structure, with his art collection housed inside it, to the Italian state. Today it is called the Galleria Franchetti in his honour.

Though smaller than many of the major museums in the city, it is a more readily palatable delight with an intriguing collection that counts Mantegna's St. Sebastian, paintings by Vittore Carpaccio, Bernini's clay models for his statues around the fountains of Piazza Navona and fragments of frescoes by Titian and Giorgione. Open from 8:15am, it closes at 2pm on Monday and is open until 7:15pm for most of the rest of the week. Entrance costs €5, plus reduced fees for some groups and free admission for those under 18 and over 65.

While the collection truly is interesting and a nice and calm spot to check out some art in the city, the building itself remains the star of the show and really is one of the must-see buildings for those visiting Venice.