Palazzo Bembo is a

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, on the Grand Canal, close by the

Rialto Bridge The Rialto Bridge ( it, Ponte di Rialto; vec, Ponte de Rialto) is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Connecting the ' (districts) of San Marco and San Polo, it has been rebuilt several times since its fir ...

and next to the

Palazzo Dolfin Manin Palazzo Dolfin Manin is a palace in the ''sestiere'' of San Marco on the Canal Grande of Venice, northern Italy. It is located near the Palazzo Bembo and Palazzo Dandolo Paolucci, not far from the Rialto Bridge. History The palace was built by th ...

History

It was built by the noble family of

Bembo Bembo is a serif typeface created by the British branch of the Monotype Corporation in 1928–1929 and most commonly used for body text. It is a member of the " old-style" of serif fonts, with its regular or roman style based on a design cut a ...

in the 15th century. Although it was remodeled several times over the centuries, externally it still maintains the original structure. The building is on the San Marco side of the Grand Canal, wedged in between Rio di San Salvador and Calle Bembo. Palazzo Bembo is the birthplace of

Pietro Bembo Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...

(1470–1547), a Venetian scholar, poet, literary theorist, and cardinal. He was an influential figure in the development of the Italian language, specifically Tuscan, as a literary medium. His writings assisted in the 16th century revival of interest in the works of

Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited w ...

. Bembo's ideas were also decisive in the formation of the most important secular musical form of the 16th century, the

madrigal A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance (15th–16th c.) and early Baroque (1600–1750) periods, although revisited by some later European composers. The polyphonic madrigal is unaccompanied, and the number o ...

. Today the building hosts a hotel and a contemporary art exhibition venue.

Description

The Palazzo’s red façade is decorated with

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 ...

s and combines old Venetian elements with influences from Byzantine architecture. The facade is considered to be an example of the Venetian Gothic-Byzantine style, a style of architecture originated in 14th-century Venice with the confluence of Byzantine styles from

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, Arab influences from

Moorish Spain Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the Mu ...

, and early Gothic forms from mainland Italy. Palazzo Bembo’s 17th century restoration took on influences from that period, as exhibited in its polychromy, three-part façade, and

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

Modern Day Use

With the thriving of

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

in the city, Palazzo Bembo is currently known for its Venice Biennale art exhibitions organized by

Personal Structures Personal Structures is an international contemporary art platform, which generates the possibility for artists and art historians to discuss philosophical concepts in art. Personal Structures was initiated in 2003 by the artist Rene Rietmeyer. A ...

, an international contemporary art platform.Art Collector Website: Personal Structures showcases Australian art in Venice
March 2013

References

External links

{{commonscat, Palazzo Bembo (Venice) Houses completed in the 15th century

Gothic architecture in Venice Gothic Revival architecture in Italy Bembo family