CA' D'ORO AND GALLERIA FRANCHETTI
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Superb collection of works of art in an elegant house, in Venetian Gothic style.
A visit to the Ca' d'Oro, a remarkable example of Venetian Gothic architecture, begins at the Grand Canal, where you can admire the finesse of its facade adorned with ogee windows and chiselled decorations. Built in 1420 for the wealthy patrician Marino Contarini, the Ca' d'Oro was once distinguished by its gold-leaf ornamentation, hence the name, and by shades of ultramarine and vermilion.
In 1916, Baron Giorgio Franchetti, the last owner of the palace, donated it to the Italian state, leaving behind his rich collection of furniture, paintings, medals, tapestries and sculptures, not to mention liturgical treasures and antique objects.
Among the must-see works is Antonio Vivarini's Passion of the Christ (1st floor, room 1), a luminous Gothic masterpiece. Further on is Mantegna's famous Saint Sebastian, one of the artist's most expressive creations, displayed in a marble chapel specially designed by Franchetti to magnify the piece. Equally sublime is the room of masterpieces of Italian painting, featuring Titian's Venus in the Mirror (2nd floor, room 7). Paris Bordone's gentle Sleeping Venus faces it, creating a harmonious dialogue between these two mythological representations. Further on, Van Eyck's Crucifixion (room 11) impresses with its depth, while Van Dyck's Portrait of Marcello Durazzo (2nd floor, room 7) brings the visit to a close, evoking the refined elegance of the Flemish master's portraits.
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