Palazzo Nani is a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
palace in the
Cannaregio
Cannaregio () is the northernmost of the six historic ''sestieri'' (districts) of Venice. It is the second largest ''sestiere'' by land area and the largest by population, with 13,169 people .
Isola di San Michele, the historic cemetery island, ...
district of
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.
History
The palazzo was built in the 16th century to be a residence of the Nani family of the "Cannaregio" branch (later Nani Mocenigo). In the 1680s, the palazzo was remodeled according to a design plan by
Alessandro Vittoria
Alessandro Vittoria funerary monument - San Zaccaria, Venice
Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608) was an Italian Mannerist sculptor of the Venetian school, "one of the main representatives of the Venetian classical style" and rivalling Giamb ...
, who also performed the interior decoration.
In its golden years, the palace kept a substantial art collection, consisting of finds from the Roman era. The entrance portal was decorated with two large statues of consuls.
The Nani owned the palazzo until 1810, when they moved to
San Trovaso to live in
Palazzo Barbarigo Nani Mocenigo
Palazzo Barbarigo Nani Mocenigo is a Gothic palace in Venice, Italy located in the Dorsoduro district, along the Nani embankment on the San Trovaso river, near the
campo of the same name.
History
The palace dates back to the 15th century and was ...
. In 1859, the palazzo was occupied by the Austrian army that converted it into barracks, then it was used as a school. The pieces of the art collection were gradually dispersed.
In 2021, following a 22-month renovation led by architect
Marco Piva and approved by the Fine Arts Heritage Committee, Palazzo Nani became a five-star
Radisson Collection
Radisson Hospitality, Inc. (trading as Radisson Hotel Group) is an American multi-national hospitality company. It started as a division of Carlson Companies, which owned Radisson Hotels, Country Inns & Suites and other brands. In 1994, Carlson s ...
hotel with 52 guest rooms. The restoration preserved some original decorative and architectural elements of the building’s façade and interiors, including historical ornaments, stuccos and paintings on the walls and ceilings.
Architecture
Palazzo Nani's front consists of four levels, including a ground floor and a mezzanine. The façade, today rather unadorned, is asymmetrical due to the massive 19th-century additions that extend the whole building to the right. The window layout is pretty regular and includes
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 ...
s; those of the
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 hous ...
s have balconies. On each side of the quadrifora on the first floor there is a stone coats of arms.
The interior decoration is also attributed to Vittoria, with stuccoes and frescoes still well-preserved in the
portego of the first floor.
The palace was once accompanied by a garden; that area is today built up.
See also
*
Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo
References
{{coord, 45.44446, 12.32464, format=dms, type:landmark_region:IT, display=title
Houses completed in the 16th century
Nani
Renaissance architecture in Venice