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Ca' d'Oro

A Gothic palace in the sestiere of Cannaregio, on the banks of the Grand Canal. Its name refers to the gold leaf and the polychrome decoration that once covered part of the façade, now gone. Marino Contarini, a merchant from a family of doges, rebuilt the old Zeno house and commissioned the work from Matteo Raverti and the brothers Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon; work began in 1424. Two workshops worked at the same time, Raverti's, with stonemasons from the Como area, and the Bons', mostly Venetians. The façade is asymmetrical, with superimposed loggias, and the courtyard has a wellhead from 1427. Baron Giorgio Franchetti bought the palace in the late 19th century, restored it towards its 15th-century appearance and donated it to the State; the Gallery opened on 18 January 1927. Its collection includes Mantegna's St Sebastian and Titian's Venus with a Mirror. The façade on the Grand Canal, with its marble tracery, is one of the classic images of the canal.

Things to do at Ca' d'Oro: 2 missions

• Get off at the Ca' d'Oro stop on line 1Take the line 1 vaporetto to the Ca' d'Oro stop, which is named after the palace, and notice how the building looks as you approach.
• Look at the asymmetrical façade from the Grand CanalStand in front of the palace, from the water or from the bank, and look at the superimposed loggias and the asymmetry of the Gothic façade.

Near Ca' d'Oro

Source: Web oficial - Ministerio de Cultura (Ca' d'Oro)