Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff is a Venetian civil building located in the

Dorsoduro Dorsoduro is one of the six sestieri of Venice, in northern Italy. Dorsoduro includes the highest land areas of the city and also Giudecca island and Isola Sacca Fisola. Its name derives from the Italian for "hard ridge", due to its comparati ...

district and overlooking the Grand Canal between

Ca' Dario The Palazzo Dario is a palace located between the Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff and the narrow Rio delle Torreselle on the Grand Canal in the sestiere of Dorsoduro, of the city of Venice, Italy. The palace was built in the Venetian Gothic style and ...

and Casa Salviati.

History

The building, initially built according to the canons of Venetian-Byzantine architecture, was then renovated by adding Gothic elements during the 15th century. In 1883, it was acquired by Russian painter Alexander Wolkoff. He had lasting relationship with an Italian actress

Eleonora Duse Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele d'Annunzio and Hen ...

. In 1894, as his guest, she lived on the top floor of the building.

Architecture

Made almost entirely of red brick, the highly asymmetrical façade stands out for its extraordinary vertical development and a mix of details: it is divided into the ground floor, mezzanine, main floor, and two upper floors. The arrangement of the decorative elements apparently lacks any order and makes it difficult to analyze the ensemble. The structure is dominated by the

polifora Polifora is a type of the multi-light window. It appears in towers and belfries on top floors, where it is necessary to lighten the structure with wider openings. The term ''polifora'' usually refers to the window with at least five parts. Overvi ...

of the noble floor, decorated by pointed frames. The top levels have

monofora Monofora is a type of the single-light window, usually narrow, crowned by an arch, and decorated by small columns or pilasters. Overview The term usually refers to a certain type of window designed during the Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance ...

bifora The bifora or ''pifara'' was a Sicilian double reed instrument of the oboe family, related to the ancient shawm and particularly to the piffero of the northern Italian Apennines. Much larger than the piffero, and made in one piece, it was employed ...

trifora Trifora is a type of three-light window. The trifora usually appears in towers and belfries—on the top floors, where it is necessary to lighten the structure with wider openings. Overview The trifora has three openings divided by two small colu ...

, and

quadrifora Quadrifora is a type of four-light window. It appears in towers and belfries on top floors, where it is necessary to lighten the structure with wider openings. The quadrifora can also be a group closely set windows. Overview The quadrifora is d ...

, all placed asymmetrically.

Patera In the material culture of classical antiquity, a ''phiale'' ( ) or ''patera'' () is a shallow ceramic or metal libation bowl. It often has a bulbous indentation ('' omphalos'', "bellybutton") in the center underside to facilitate holding it, ...

e and coats of arms are the modern works.

Gallery

CANAL GRANDE - palazzo barbaro wolkoff.jpg, Facade details Palazzo barbaro wolkoff visto dal rio sta maria zobenigo.jpg, Facade details Canal Grande, középen a Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff és a Palazzo Dario. Fortepan 28503.jpg, Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff and Palazzo Dario in 1965. Palazzo-Wolkoff-and-Dario-20050525-014.jpg, Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff (left) and Palazzo Dario (right), ground floors. Naya, Carlo (1816-1882) - n. 32 - Venezia - Palazzo Dario.jpg, Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff and Palazzo Dario in 1870s.

References

{{Reflist Houses completed in the 15th century Barbaro Wolkoff Barbaro Wolkoff Gothic architecture in Venice