Palazzo Gradenigo is a palace in Venice, located in the Santa Croce district, near

Palazzo Soranzo Cappello Palazzo Soranzo Cappello is a palace in Venice, Italy located in the Santa Croce district, near Palazzo Gradenigo. The palace is currently occupied by the Superintendence of Archaeology, the Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan area of ...

and the church of

San Simeone Profeta San Simeone Profeta, also known as San Simeone Grande is a church in the sestiere of Santa Croce in Venice, Italy. The adjective ''Grande'' distinguishes this church from the San Simeone Piccolo, which was smaller in size until its 18th-century r ...

, and overlooking Rio Marin.

History

The palace was built on a project by architect Domenico Margutti, a student of

Baldassare Longhena Baldassare Longhena (1598 – 18 February 1682) was an Italian architect, who worked mainly in Venice, where he was one of the greatest exponents of Baroque architecture of the period. Biography Born in Venice, Longhena studied under the architec ...

, at the end of the 17th century to be the grand residence of the Gradenigo family, one of the noblest among the Venetian aristocracy. Over the centuries, the palace was the site of great celebrations, which were held in the palace gardens. In the 19th century, Archduke Frederick of Austria lived in the palace and died there. In the early 20th century these gardens inspired some places in novel ''

Il Fuoco ''The Flame'' () is a 1900 novel by the Italian writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. It is set in 1883 Venice and tells the story of a young artist and his mistress, a famous but quickly aging actress. The story was inspired by D'Annunzio's relationship wit ...

'' by the Italian writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. Currently, the palazzo is in good condition after being restored in 1999.

Architecture

The façade has three levels and an attic open by square windows, overlooks the river, on which, on the ground floor, there are two portals. The two

noble floor The ''piano nobile'' ( Italian for "noble floor" or "noble level", also sometimes referred to by the corresponding French term, ''bel étage'') is the principal floor of a palazzo. This floor contains the main reception and bedrooms of the h ...

s are asymmetrical: the first features a series of ten balustraded single-lancet windows; the second has larger windows, among which stands out, on the far left, a

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 ...

, corresponding on the facade overlooking the garden, to a

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 ...

. It is precisely the garden that has made the palace famous: in fact, until the early 20th century the garden was among the vastest in Venice and was one of the greatest prides of the Gradenigos. A small part of it remains nowadays, following the building development in the surrounding area. Inside, much of the original pictorial decoration has been lost over the centuries; however, there remain 17th-century stuccos and some 18th-century frescoes attributed to

Jacopo Guarana 225px, ''Allegory of the virtues Mocenigo'', 1787 Jacopo Guarana (October 28, 1720 – April 18, 1808) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque period who was born in Verona. He was active mainly in Venice and its mainland territories. In ...

Gallery

Palazzo Gradenigo a Venezia dettaglio.jpg, Facade details Code of arms - Palazzo Gradenigo.jpg, Gradenigo coat of arms Portal to the canal - Palazzo Gradenigo 01.jpg, Portal to the canal Garden - Palazzo Gradenigo 02.jpg, Garden Garden - Palazzo Gradenigo 01.jpg, The entry to the garden

References

{{Reflist Houses completed in the 17th century Palaces in Sestiere Santa Croce Gradenigo Gradenigo family