COVER PHOTO: Approaching the Palazzo Ca’ Foscari on the major bend of the Grand Canal
Part 1 of our three-part trip on the Vaporetto Linea 1 from the Ponte della Costituzione took us as far as the Rialto Mercato stop …
Here in Part 2, the vaporetto plies its way from Rialto Mercato as far as the Accademia Bridge, again taking in a selection of the sights to be seen on the way.
Alighting at the Rialto Mercato stop, a 150m, 2 minute onward walk initially takes a stroll along the Naranzaria (Orange Sellers), a charming street flanked by shops and cafes selling a variety of goods. With the Grand Canal now immediately on the left, the sound of water lapping against the gondolas and vaporetti adds to the unique ambiance of this enchanting city.
Oops, it’s dead-end here around the corner – but what a view! …
Along with Piazza San Marco, the 16th-century Rialto Bridge is an iconic symbol of Venice’s rich history and architectural heritage. It attracts countless visitors who come to admire its beauty and take in the enchanting views of the city’s waterways –
even on a cold December’s day …
The view downstream from the middle of the Rialto Bridge shows that in order to reboard the Linea 1 vaporetto it is necessary to cross the bridge, since the stop has swapped sides again …
… and is now on the left bank …
Heading away from Rialto in 2015, there are clearly reparations being made to the Rialto Bridge …
… which must have meant disappointment to visitors. The view down the canal from the bridge’s centre has been completely obscured by a large advertising hoarding and the left half of the bridge has been totally covered with a tarpaulin(?) to contain the restorative work. What is very commendable in Italy is that work on historic buildings covered like this quite often have their protective covering display a representation of the building within.
From the Rialto stop, the vaporetto once more zig-zags across the canal, next to the right-side to San Silvestro and back again to the San Angelo stop …
Now between the Rialto Bridge and the Accademia Bridge, there are no waterfront churches but the Grand Canal does host an increasing number and range of palazzi that exemplify the rich history and architectural diversity of Venice. Consequently, making a choice of those to include here has been difficult, but here are some of interest.
Our vaporetto stops first at San Silvestro, with just a 30 m onward walk from the stop to …
The 13th-century Palazzo Barzizza (45.436856N 12.332781E) was commissioned by the Contarini family – a family which, from 697 AD to 1684 AD supplied almost a dozen of Venice’s Doges as well as many, many Procurators, Ambassadors, Bishops and more. It was originally built as a warehouse-house, having a warehouse on the lower floor, with direct access to loading and unloading from the canal, with living accommodation on the upper floors.
Acquired by the Barzizza family in the 18th-century and renamed Palazzo Barzizza, the building underwent a large number of reconstructions including the ‘add-on’ to the left side which contributed to the asymmetry of the building seen today and required the reconstruction of the existing central portion. In particular, note how the original five Romanesque windows of the second floor were reduced to four windows with the fifth (now half-window) having to be bricked in.
Currently this ancient, 700-year-old residence is a private home.
A short distance further along the waterfront is the Baroque-style, 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli (45.436781N 12.332043E), originally commissioned by the Coccina family – a family of traders and seafarers – and named at the time, unsurprisingly, Palazzo Coccina.
In an amazing display of Venetian hubris, the Coccina family commissioned 16th-century artist, Paolo Veronese, to paint their family in the same scene as the Holy Family.
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21963346
Canny Veronese, not wishing to be at odds with the Catholic Church, had the nous to place a column in between to separate Holy from secular! But that’s not what is of particular interest here. Look at the bottom right hand corner and you will see the Palazzo Coccina. This 16th-century painting was used to provide information on the level of the water in the Venetian lagoon at the time, courtesy of the algae level around the Palazzo’s waterline. Together with similar information from paintings by Canaletto and Bellotto and the 100+ years of readings from Venice’s tide gauges, the associated academic study conclusively showed an exponential rise in sea level in the Venetian Lagoon over the last 500 years – accelerated more recently by climate change.
Today the Palazzo Papadopoli is a 5-star luxury hotel.
Back a short distance from the next vaporetto stop on the right bank, San Toma, the striking red-plastered Palazzo Giustinian Persico (45.43568N 12.32857E), with its 16th-century façade, was one of the first palazzi in Venice to be built in the Renaissance style. Its name derives from the ownership of two different families; originally commissioned by the Giustinian family, one of the most important and most ancient Venetian noble families, it passed shortly after construction to the wealthy Da Persico family.
On the same right-bank but beyond our San Toma stop is the late 16th-century Palazzo Balbi (45.435022N 12.327051E), bearing a striking similarity to the abovementioned Palazzo Papadopoli featuring a similar beautiful Venetian Gothic style, characterized by elegant arches, intricate stonework, and elaborate decorations.
On an upper floor between the outer windows are two bas-relief Balbi coats of arms. Each of the outer windows and the two ground-floor outer doors exhibit an ‘interrupted’ tympanum motif – the first building on which this was used in Venice.
It has had a chequered history. In 1807, Napoleon was hosted here in order to attend an event held in his honour. In 1887 it was acquired by Michelangelo Guggenheim, Italian art collector and merchant, who housed his personal art collection there. From 1925 it became a business establishment, belonging to the Adriatic Electricity Company and in 1971 became the prestigious institutional headquarters of the Veneto region. However, in 2020, during times of austerity, the building was put up for sale at a starting price of 26.5 million euro!
If you have disembarked at San Toma, there is a short walk around to our next palazzo, the Ca’ Foscari, (45.434464N 12.326564E) just beyond, located on the widest bend of the Grand Canal and one of the most prominent examples of Venetian Gothic architecture. This palazzo dates back to the 15th-century when it was built for the Foscari family, who were one of the most powerful and influential families in Venice during the Renaissance period. Originally built as a residence for the Doge of Venice, it later became the headquarters of the University of Venice (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) – here seen from our vaporetto as it glides by …
The building’s façade features elaborate details, including Gothic arches, ornate sculptures, and decorative elements, making it an exquisite example of Venetian architecture.
Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia was founded here in 1868 within Palazzo Ca’ Foscari, so giving the university its name. Students lucky (and clever) enough to study here find themselves in La Serenissima, a World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Ca’ Foscari‘s location on the Grand Canal adds to its charm, offering stunning views of the canal (both upstream and downstream) and the surrounding city. The palace has served various functions over the centuries, but its historical significance and architectural beauty continue to attract visitors from around the world.
Plying its way around the sweeping bend of the Grand Canal past Ca’ Foscari, the Linea 1 vaporetto breaks tradition by pulling into a second successive stop on the right bank at Ca’ Rezzonico, where one alights to visit one of the most famous palazzi in Venice, the Baroque 18th-century Ca’ Rezzonico (45.433425N 12.326817E) containing the Museo del Settecento Veneziano (Museum of 18th-century Venice). The museum’s exhibits include paintings, sculptures, furniture, and various decorative arts.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25203928
A ground floor passage runs front to back from the main entrance on the canal (see photo above) through this inner courtyard to the fountain seen through the opening at the back …
No expense spared! Note how the interior ‘exterior’ of the building here is as richly and intricately decorated as the outer façade!
As an initial 18th-century exhibit, the young girl above photographs a beautifully carved, ornate gondola complete with a felze, a small cabin – a gondola add-on not unusual in that hedonistic century to protect canoodling passengers from onlookers (well, protect them from the scorching sun or the pelting rain, at least)!
Being a public space allows visitors access to one of the most elegant palazzi of Venice. The palace is a popular attraction for tourists visiting Venice as it offers a chance to explore the lavish interiors and gain insights into the city’s cultural and historical heritage during the height of its prominence as a major European power. Certainly, the display rooms give some impression of the grand lifestyle enjoyed by the inhabitants of this, and the other grand palazzi. Here, for example, is Ca’ Rezzonico‘s ballroom, the largest room in the building …
Venetian artist Antonio Canaletto (1697 – 1768), painter of over 250 world-famous cityscapes, has such little representation in Venetian Art Galleries since much of his work was scooped-up by the European Aristocracy of the 18th-century seeking mementoes from their Grand Tour. There are just three of Canaletto’s paintings in Venice, two of which, early masterpieces, hang in Ca’ Rezzonico‘s picture gallery portego, View of the Grand Canal from Ca’ Balbi towards Rialto, and Rio dei Mendicanti (the Beggars’ Canal). These hang next to each other …
Two palazzi downstream from Ca’ Rezzonico, is the Palazzetto Stern (45.433034N 12.326911E), or the Belle Époque-styled Hotel Palazzo Stern. This had its original construction in the Venetian-Byzantine style in the early 15th-century, but suffered much deterioration over the subsequent centuries.
It was purchased in the early 20th-century by the Stern family who set about its reconstruction from the pre-existing building. Under the strict rules of the time governing the style of any rebuilds, a neo-Venetian-Gothic look was chosen, here with an asymmetrical façade. The parasols on the terrace overlooking the canal bear witness to its current incarnation as a luxury hotel.
So as the vaporetto glides past what appears to be a 15th-century palazetto with its Gothic appearance, do bear in mind this is an early 20th-century reinterpretation.
… and two buildings further on from the Palazzo Stern is the 15th-century Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore (45.432654N 12.327105E).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25320553
Completed in 1470 and built in a similar style to Ca’ Foscari, this house was owned by the noble Loredan family who provided Venice with two Doges. The palazzo acquired the added title ‘Ambasciatore‘ (Ambassador) during the Loredan tenancy (around 1754 when Leonardo Loredan was the 116th Doge) when it was part-used as the Austrian Embassy at the time of the Austrian Habsburg rule of Venice.
As with some of the other palazzi, what you see here today is not entirely THE 15th-century palazzo. In 1891 this building was almost completely destroyed by fire – but was immediately restored, especially the interior, according to the original designs.
Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore is privately-owned by a real estate investor and luxury rental property owner. The palazzo here offers, amongst other accommodation, 6 luxury rental apartments available for up to 40 guests.
As the vaporetto pulls past these wonderful buildings, we approach the final stop in Part 2 of our vaporetto ride (the third in succession on the right bank), the Accademia …
… see you in …
A Vaporetto Ride down the Grand Canal (Part 3)
Ciao Tutti!
Italian Reflections 