Palazzo Treves de Bonfili, sometimes also known as Palazzo Barozzi Emo Treves de Bonfili, is a Venetian architecture located in the San Marco district and overlooking the Grand Canal where it intersects with the Rio di San Moisè, opposite Punta della Dogana.
Palazzo Barozzi Emo Treves de Bonfili on the Grand Canal, Venice
The Palace is located in a strategic position for maritime trade: the
narrow Rio di San Moisè on which it overlooks allows you to quickly
reach the Rialto, since it soon transforms into Rio San Luca to flow
near Palazzo Grimani.
Given this premise, it is not surprising
that a crenellated palace was built here by the Barozzi family as early
as the 12th century, enriched by a loggia, a portico and two large
square towers. In the 18th century, the previous building underwent
massive renovations, which were however interrupted with the transfer of
ownership to the noble Emo family.
In 1827 the entire complex was
purchased by the bankers of the Treves family, barons de Bonfili: they
dedicated themselves to enriching the internal rooms, without altering
either the unfinished facade or the plan, thus knowing how to transform
the building into the best example of neoclassicism present in city. In
particular, the works are followed with interest by Jacopo Treves, also
known as patron: he placed works by Angelo Pizzi, Giuseppe Borsato,
Giovanni Demin, Sebastiano Santi, Francesco Hayez, Michelangelo
Grigoletti, Antonio Bosa and others in the Palazzo. Also in that year
two statues by Antonio Canova were purchased: Hector and Aiace, which
were placed in a special apsidal room overlooking the main waterway of
the city.
The building, whose color was in a precarious
condition, now appears renovated on the outside and characterized by a
pink colour.
The architect who oversaw the seventeenth-century restoration,
Bartolomeo Manopola, decided to make the facade on the Rio di San Moisè
the main one to the detriment of the one on the Grand Canal, which in
fact appears asymmetrical.
The facade on the Grand Canal appears
clearly divided into two sectors: the left one, which is simpler, is a
remnant of the original building, while the right one, distinguished by
two imposing serlianes and a grandiose water portal, is a magnificent
example of Renaissance architecture.
The facade on the Rio di San
Moisè, on the other hand, is much wider: extraordinarily developed both
in height and in length, it appears disproportionate to the size of the
space it overlooks. It appears to be the emblem of a young Baroque,
still distinguished by important Renaissance elements such as the use of
the serliana. Each floor has fifteen windows: often arranged in pairs,
they find the axis of symmetry in the monumental portal. Some of the
very numerous holes have been made blind.
The building has a
belvedere located on the roof.