No tourist walks past the ornate Gothic building that sits on Venice's main street, the Grand Canal. This miracle of architecture is called the Ca'd'Oro Palace or the Palazzo Santa Sofia. Hundreds of people come here to admire the exquisite lacework of the palace and its interior. And this is no coincidence, thanks to the decoration made of gold leaf, the building received its second name: the Golden House. The unusual painting of the facade with deep shades of blue and deep red makes it fabulous and absolutely unforgettable.
History of the Ca 'd'Oro palace
According to historical records, the first owner of the Golden House was the patrician Marino Contarini, and it was built in the 15th century by the father and son of Giovanni and Bartolomeo named Bon. An exquisite palace was erected on the site of a recently demolished building that belonged to the wife of a patrician. The façade of the old house, not completely destroyed, served as the basis for the new palace.
In those days, the Golden House was considered the most luxurious and elegant building in Venice, and stories of its splendor quickly spread far beyond the borders of the Italian city. And this was not at all surprising: the owner of the new building belonged to the ruling stratum of the population and did everything possible to make his palace the best not only in Venice, but throughout Italy. In the design of the building and interiors, he imitated the emperor of Rome Nero, who once built the world-famous Golden Palace in the capital of Italy.
It should be noted that during its long history, the building has changed a large number of owners. Each owner of the Golden House tried to add its own flavor to the appearance of the palace. In the middle of the 19th century, the house was donated to the famous Italian ballet dancer Maria Taglioni. The generous gift was made by the Russian prince Trubetskoy. At that time, the house was in disrepair and required urgent repairs and investment. The prince asked the architect Giovanni Batista Meduna to undertake the reconstruction of the palace, who made many changes to the original appearance of the building. Contemporaries considered the restoration of the house tasteless, as a result of which many of the unique features of the Venetian building were irretrievably lost.
Tourists are often told the legend that an unscrupulous architect took advantage of the fact that the customer did not control the progress of the work. He removed the gilding that was applied to the facade of the building and sold it on the market. His cunning was discovered and the architect was severely punished. Historical confirmation of this story has not been found, and it is quite possible that this is one of the tales that the guides tell their listeners.
The new owner, Giorgio Franchetti, tried to restore the magnificent appearance, which was conceived by the creators of the palace. He purchased this amazing house at the end of the 19th century. Over the course of several years of laborious and painstaking work, Giorgio found old drawings, according to which the palace was built, and pictures of the building of past years. He restored the structure according to them.
The architecture of the "Golden House" of Venice
The Golden House stands out from other buildings on the Grand Canal for its asymmetry. This building resembles both a church built in the Middle Ages and a Muslim mosque. The left side of the façade is adorned with lace trim, which gives the palace a sense of airiness and romance. The right side is a monolithic structure, distinguished by its rigor and simplicity. Like all houses that are built in the city of all lovers, the Golden House has two equal entrances: you can enter the building both from water and from land.
The architecture of Venetian buildings has always been distinguished by sophistication and special luxury. Like many structures that were being built at that time, the Ca'd'Oro palace is made in the Gothic style. This is evidenced by the elongated vaults of the building, framed with the finest patterns of expensive marble, and pointed arches, which are the hallmark of the Golden House. There is a small well in the courtyard, which immediately catches the eye of visitors. It is made of red marble brought from Verona. Around the well there are statues, each of which makes you think about the eternal problems of concern to humanity: about steadfastness, mercy and supreme justice.
Interior decoration of Ka 'd'Oro
On the ground floor of the Golden House there are: a small chapel, a cozy gallery, the premises of which are decorated with ancient bas-reliefs and statues of the bygone eras of antiquity and the Renaissance. The most famous works on display in the gallery are: "The Young Couple", marble sculpture "Madonna and Child" and works of the school of Tullio Lombardo. Exquisite halls adjoin the gallery from different sides, and from its windows a magnificent view of the main street of fabulous Venice opens up.
You can climb to the second floor of the palace by a massive staircase. The best traditions of Venetian art are embodied in the elegant interiors of the Golden House, which amaze everyone who crosses the threshold of this amazing place with their luxury and beauty. Climbing to the second floor, tourists can see the original frescoes of Titian, Van Dyck's work called "Portrait of a Nobleman" and full of original charm, handcrafted Flemish tapestries.
What to see in the Ca 'd'Oro palace
The Golden House has not lost its fame to this day. Every day it is visited by hundreds of tourists who are able to appreciate the beauty and admire the work of Venetian architects. The owner of the house, Giorgio Franchetti, who made a significant contribution to the restoration of the palace, left behind a gorgeous collection of old paintings, exquisite ceramics and original sculptures that have preserved the memory of the time of their creation. After his death, all the treasures of art collected in the Golden House became the property of the city.
In the 30s of the XX century, the gallery of the collector Franchetti was opened in the Ca 'd'Oro palace, which is very popular among tourists who come to Italy. The Golden House contains amazing paintings that were collected all over the world, with different views of the city, breathing love and romance. Here you can admire the works of artists of medieval art, such as: Paris Bordone, Tintoretto, Van Dyck, Francesco Guardi.
Opening hours and how to get to the palace
Everyone can visit this palace and enjoy not only its fabulous view, but also the amazing decoration of the interiors that leave no one indifferent. Tourists can enter the inner premises of the Golden House as part of a tourist group and on an individual basis every day. When planning their day, they should remember that on Mondays the palace is open from 8.15 to 14.00, on other days you can visit it from 8.15 to 19.15.
The cost of visiting the Golden House is 6 €, on the days of temporary exhibitions the price of visiting can be changed at the discretion of the organizers. It is not difficult to get to the Golden House: there is a minibus No. 1 from the Venice railway station to it, the stop is called: "Ca 'd'Oro Palace".
