The Palazzo Barbarigo, located in the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice, Italy, is a striking 16th-century palace situated along the Grand Canal, between Palazzo Da Mula Morosini and Campo San Vio. Renowned for its distinctive façade adorned with colorful Murano glass mosaics added in 1886, the palace is a testament to Venice’s Renaissance architectural heritage and its enduring tradition of glassmaking. Originally built in the Renaissance style, it has served various roles, from a noble residence for the Barbarigo family to the headquarters of the Compagnia Venezia Murano, a leading glass and mosaic producer. Today, part of the palace functions as a showroom and shop for Murano glass, while its private ownership limits public access, making it a captivating yet elusive landmark.
The Palazzo Barbarigo’s history reflects the evolving roles of
Venetian palaces, from aristocratic residences to commercial and
cultural hubs, shaped by the city’s maritime wealth and artistic
innovation.
Construction and Early Ownership (16th Century):
Built in the mid-16th century during the height of the Renaissance, the
palace was originally a residence for the Barbarigo family, one of
Venice’s prominent noble families with roots in Istria. The Barbarigos
were influential in Venetian politics and religion, producing doges
(e.g., Marco Barbarigo, 1485–1486, and Agostino Barbarigo, 1486–1501),
bishops, cardinals, and patriarchs, including San Gregorio Barbarigo
(1625–1697), canonized in 1960.
The palace’s location on the Grand
Canal in Dorsoduro, a sestiere known for its artistic and academic
institutions, positioned it among Venice’s elite residences, akin to
Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo in San Marco. Its early history is sparsely
documented, but its Renaissance design suggests it was a typical
casa-fondaco, combining residential and commercial functions, as seen in
Palazzo Giovanelli.
Compagnia Venezia Murano (Late 19th Century):
By the late 19th century, the palace became the headquarters of Pauly &
C. – Compagnia Venezia Murano, one of Murano’s oldest glass factories.
In 1886, the company renovated the building and commissioned a unique
façade decoration: Murano glass mosaics designed by painter Giulio
Carlini and applied by the Fratelli Testolini, specialists in glassware
and mosaics.
The mosaics, inspired by the exterior mosaics of St.
Mark’s Basilica, were controversial, with aristocratic neighbors
criticizing the owners as nouveaux riches for their “garish” taste,
which clashed with the “genteel decay” of surrounding palazzi. This bold
addition reflects Venice’s glassmaking heritage, a craft also celebrated
in Palazzo Giovanelli’s Murano chandeliers.
Modern Ownership and
Use:
In the 1920s, the palace continued to serve as a base for
Compagnia Venezia Murano, but it later transitioned to private
ownership. A 2017 investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation
(Russia) claimed that Russian conductor Valery Gergiev owns the palace,
along with part of an adjacent property, as part of the inheritance of
philanthropist Yoko Nagae Ceschina (d. 2015), though this claim remains
unverified and controversial.
Today, part of the palace functions as
a showroom and shop for Murano glass, preserving its connection to
Venice’s glassmaking tradition. The rest remains a private residence,
limiting public access, similar to Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo or
Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo.
The Palazzo Barbarigo is a quintessential Renaissance palace, with
its 16th-century structure modified by the iconic Murano glass mosaics
of 1886. Its design balances functionality with aesthetic innovation,
adapted to Venice’s canal-side environment.
Exterior
Location
and Façade:
Situated in Dorsoduro along the Grand Canal, between
Palazzo Da Mula Morosini and Campo San Vio, the palace is approximately
250 meters from the Accademia vaporetto stop (Lines 1, 2). Its Grand
Canal frontage ensures high visibility, akin to Palazzo Erizzo Nani
Mocenigo or Palazzo Giovanelli, and offers stunning views toward the
Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Palazzo Dario.
The façade follows a
Renaissance pattern, organized into three levels:
Ground floor: An
open loggia with a water portal provides canal access, essential for
gondola and water taxi arrivals, similar to Palazzo Venier-Manfrin’s
water gates.
First piano nobile: Features open loggias with decorated
columns and simple arched windows, juxtaposed at the center and linked
by marble bands, creating a harmonious rhythm.
Second piano nobile: A
secondary noble floor with smaller windows, maintaining the façade’s
symmetry, akin to Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo’s upper floors.
The
Murano glass mosaics, added in 1886, are the façade’s defining feature,
covering parts of the original Renaissance design and possibly obscuring
some windows. Designed by Giulio Carlini, the mosaics include:
A
frieze between the upper floors depicting 35 cherubs engaged in arts
like painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, celebrating
Venetian craftsmanship.
Two murals commemorating 16th-century royal
visits: Holy Roman Emperor Charles V conversing with Titian at St.
Mark’s Basilica, and future French King Henry III on the Doge’s barge
with glassmakers. Portraits of Titian and Tintoretto crown these scenes,
with St. Mark’s lion and a Murano rooster symbolizing Venice and Murano,
respectively.
The mosaics’ vibrant colors and reflective quality make
the façade one of the most eye-catching on the Grand Canal, contrasting
with the restrained Gothic of Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo or the
Baroque-Neoclassical of Palazzo Venier-Manfrin.
Structural
Features:
Constructed primarily of brick with Istrian stone accents,
the palace is supported by wooden piles driven into the lagoon bed, a
standard Venetian technique to counter the shifting ground, as seen in
Palazzo Gradenigo or Church of the Holy Spirit.
The façade’s marble
bands and serrated edges enhance durability against the canal’s saline
environment, similar to Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo’s stone
reinforcements.
Interior
Layout:
The interior likely
follows the traditional Venetian palace plan, with a central portego
(hall) on the piano nobile for receptions, flanked by smaller rooms for
private use, as in Palazzo Giovanelli or Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo.
The ground floor would have included storage and service areas,
accessible via the water portal.
As a private residence and showroom,
the interior is not well-documented, but it likely retains some
16th-century features, such as terrazzo floors, wooden ceilings, or
stucco work, though these may have been altered during 19th-century
renovations. Unlike Palazzo Gradenigo’s restored frescoes or Palazzo
Venier-Manfrin’s double-height ball hall, the interior’s current state
is less known.
Decorative Elements:
The showroom likely
features Murano glass artifacts, including chandeliers, vases, and
sculptures, reflecting the palace’s association with Compagnia Venezia
Murano, similar to Palazzo Giovanelli’s Murano chandeliers.
No
specific artworks are documented, unlike Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo’s
Tiepolo frescoes, Palazzo Gradenigo’s Guarana frescoes, or Church of San
Lazzaro dei Mendicanti’s Tintoretto paintings, suggesting the palace’s
artistic focus is external.
The Palazzo Barbarigo’s primary artistic contribution is its Murano
glass mosaics, a unique addition that distinguishes it from other
Venetian palaces and churches.
Murano Glass Mosaics (1886):
Designed by Giulio Carlini and executed by the Fratelli Testolini, the
mosaics are a celebration of Venetian glassmaking, inspired by St.
Mark’s Basilica’s golden mosaics. The cherub frieze and royal visit
murals highlight Venice’s artistic and historical legacy, with Titian
and Tintoretto portraits emphasizing the city’s Renaissance art
prominence.
The mosaics’ reflective quality, shimmering in the
canal’s light, creates a dynamic visual effect, unparalleled among the
palaces you’ve inquired about, though Palazzo Giovanelli’s Murano
chandeliers offer a related glassmaking connection.
Comparison to
Other Sites:
Unlike Church of the Holy Spirit’s Titian altarpiece or
Santa Maria delle Penitenti’s Tiepolo paintings, Palazzo Barbarigo’s art
is external and decorative, not narrative or sacred.
Palazzo
Venier-Manfrin’s Ricci and Mengardi frescoes and former Giorgione
collection are internal and historically dispersed, while Barbarigo’s
mosaics are a permanent, public-facing feature.
Palazzo Contarini Dal
Zaffo’s Tiepolo frescoes and Palazzo Gradenigo’s Fontebasso works are
more traditional, while Barbarigo’s mosaics represent a 19th-century
innovation.
Cultural and Historical Significance
The Palazzo
Barbarigo embodies Venice’s maritime, artistic, and commercial heritage,
with its history and features reflecting the city’s unique identity.
Barbarigo Family Legacy:
The Barbarigo family’s influence, from
doges to saints, parallels the aristocratic prominence of the Contarini
(Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo), Gradenigo (Palazzo Gradenigo), and
Erizzo-Nani (Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo) families. Their role in
Venetian governance and religion underscores the palace’s historical
importance, akin to the noble patrons of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti.
The palace’s name, distinct from other Barbarigo properties like Palazzo
Barbarigo Minotto or Palazzi Barbaro, highlights the family’s extensive
real estate holdings, reflecting Venice’s aristocratic wealth.
Glassmaking Heritage:
The Murano glass mosaics connect the palace to
Venice’s centuries-old glassmaking tradition, centered on the island of
Murano. This craft, also celebrated in Palazzo Giovanelli’s chandeliers
and Palazzo Venier-Manfrin’s historical context, underscores Venice’s
economic and artistic innovation, as noted in sources on Venetian
architecture.
The mosaics’ controversial reception as “nouveaux
riches” reflects Venice’s tension between tradition and modernity in the
19th century, a theme less evident in the purely aristocratic Palazzo
Erizzo Nani Mocenigo or Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo.
Architectural Importance:
The palace’s Renaissance design, with its
loggias and marble bands, exemplifies Venetian architecture’s blend of
functionality and elegance, influenced by Byzantine and Moorish styles,
as seen in Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo’s Gothic façade or Palazzo
Giovanelli’s Renaissance elements.
The 1886 mosaics add a
Neo-Byzantine layer, aligning with Venice’s historical emulation of
Eastern aesthetics, as noted in architectural studies of the city.
Cultural Context:
Located in Dorsoduro, near cultural landmarks
like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (2-minute walk) and Gallerie
dell’Accademia (3-minute walk), the palace is part of a vibrant artistic
sestiere, contrasting with the residential Cannaregio (Palazzo Contarini
Dal Zaffo, Palazzo Venier-Manfrin, Santa Maria delle Penitenti) or
aristocratic San Marco (Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo).
Its showroom
role continues Venice’s tradition of showcasing artisanal crafts,
similar to the cultural hubs of Palazzo Venier-Manfrin’s Anish Kapoor
Foundation or Palazzo Gradenigo’s Art Refinery, though on a smaller
scale.
Current Role:
Part of the palace serves as a showroom and shop for
Murano glass, operated by successors to Compagnia Venezia Murano,
offering visitors a chance to purchase or view glass artifacts. The rest
is a private residence, potentially owned by Valery Gergiev
(unverified), limiting interior access, similar to Palazzo Erizzo Nani
Mocenigo or Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo.
The palace’s private status
contrasts with Palazzo Giovanelli’s full hotel operation or Palazzo
Gradenigo’s rental apartment, but its showroom aligns with Venice’s
commercial heritage, akin to Palazzo Venier-Manfrin’s Anish Kapoor
Foundation.
Visiting:
The palace is not open for public tours,
but its façade can be admired from the Grand Canal via vaporetto (Lines
1, 2, Accademia stop, 250 meters away) or gondola, offering views of the
Murano mosaics, especially striking at sunrise or sunset. A walk along
Calle Dose da Ponte from Campo San Maurizio (opposite bank) provides
another vantage point.
The showroom is accessible during business
hours, though specific times are not widely advertised; visitors should
check with local sources or italyscapes.com. Unlike Santa Maria delle
Penitenti’s reservation-only visits or Church of the Holy Spirit’s
irregular hours, the showroom offers limited but direct engagement.
Tripadvisor reviews highlight the palace’s eye-catching mosaics and
Grand Canal setting, rating it as a notable attraction for those
exploring Dorsoduro, though it lacks the public access of San Lazzaro
dei Mendicanti or Palazzo Gradenigo’s Art Refinery.
Nearby
attractions include Peggy Guggenheim Collection (2-minute walk),
Gallerie dell’Accademia (3-minute walk), Palazzo Dario (3-minute walk),
and Palazzo Brandolin Rota (2-minute walk), making it a convenient stop
on a Dorsoduro itinerary.
Challenges:
Acqua alta (tidal
flooding) threatens the palace’s ground floor, as seen in the November
2019 flood, though its elevated design and Istrian stone mitigate
damage, similar to risks faced by Church of the Holy Spirit or Santa
Maria delle Penitenti.
Private ownership and limited documentation
restrict knowledge of the interior, akin to Palazzo Erizzo Nani
Mocenigo, though the showroom provides some public engagement.
The
controversial ownership claim (Gergiev/Ceschina) adds uncertainty, as
noted in X posts, but does not affect its architectural or cultural
value.