Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel is a Gothic palace in

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

located in the Cannaregio district. The palace locates at the intersection of the Rio de la Panada and the Rio de Ca' Widmann.

History

The palace was erected between 1473 and 1479 for Nicolò Soranzo with material recovered from an ancient Byzantine palace of Gradenigo. It is possible that Soranzo was involved in the construction of the adjacent Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. The palazzo then passed to the families of

Venier Venier is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andrea Venier, castellan of Scutari * Annibale Venier (born 1951), an Italian rower * Anton Venier, Austrian luger *Antonio Venier (c. 1330–1400), Doge of Venice * Cecilia Venier-Baff ...

and Sanudo. Finally, in 1652, the palace became the property of the Van Axel, rich merchants from

Axel, Netherlands Axel is a city in the southwest Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Terneuzen, Zeeland, about 31 km southeast of Vlissingen. Axel received city rights in 1213. History The city was first between 987 and 994 as Axla. The etym ...

. They were admitted to the Venetian patriciate in 1665. The building was featured in the 1967 movie ''

The Honey Pot ''The Honey Pot'', also known as ''The Honeypot'', is a 1967 American crime film, crime comedy-drama film written for the screen and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It stars Rex Harrison, Susan Hayward, Cliff Robertson, Capucine, Edie Adams, an ...

''. In recent years, Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel has been used for the

Biennale Biennale (), Italian for "biennial" or "every other year", is any event that happens every two years. It is most commonly used within the art world to describe large-scale international contemporary art exhibitions. As such the term was popularis ...

and undergone exterior renovation.

Architecture

The palazzo looks apparently planless. The structure has 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 decorated by

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 supported by balconies. There are internal courtyards with external staircases. Of particular interest are L-shaped halls ('' porteghi'') because of the double angle view on the intersection of the rivers. Also remarkable is the entrance gate on the Fondamenta de le Erbe, in original wood with bezel and the coat of arms of the Van Axel. A curious part of the building that closes its south part is a few meters wide: built certainly after the rest of the building, it rises above a detachment originally imposed by the Venetian court in a property dispute with the adjoining convent of nuns.

Gallery

Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel (Venice) on rio de Ca'Widmann.jpg, The second facade Alberto Prosdocimi Venezia Palazzo Soranzo van Axel.jpg, A painting by Alberto Prosdocimi Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Venezia, 1968) - BEIC 6355907.jpg, The courtyard, a photo by

Paolo Monti Paolo Monti (11 August 1908 – 29 November 1982) was an Italian photographer, known for his architectural photography. In his early period, Monti experimented with abstractionism as well as with effects such as blurring and diffraction. In 19 ...

Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6342844.jpg, The courtyard, a photo by

Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Venezia, 1974) - BEIC 6349080.jpg, Details of the courtyard, a photo by

Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel ingresso Venezia notte.jpg, The entrance decorated with the Van Axel coat of arms

References

{{Reflist Houses completed in the 15th century Soranzo Van Axel Gothic architecture in Venice Soranzo family