Palazzo Clary-Ficquelmont is an architecture of Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district and overlooking the Giudecca Canal, just to the right of Palazzo Giustinian Recanati.
Built in the 17th century, from the 19th century it became the
property of the noble Franco-Austrian family of the counts of
Ficquelmont and then of their heirs the Austrian princes of Clary and
Aldringen (of the castle of Teplice) who gave it its name.
The
second noble floor was the historical seat of the Consulate of France,
where there was the 'red line' (in English red telephone or
Moscow-Washington hotline) which directly connected the United States of
America and Russia (until 1991 Soviet). This line of communication was
to avoid the risk of atomic warfare by mistake.
The red line was
activated during the Cold War on August 30, 1963 and the transmitted
messages were encrypted.
Important facade in late Renaissance style, spread over three floors,
plus a mezzanine in the attic.
On the ground floor there is a
large rectangular portal, surmounted by two paired sculpted coats of
arms.
The building has two noble floors: the first floor
characterized by round arched openings, a pair of single lancet windows
on each side, with a large four-lancet window in the centre; supported
by Ionic order columns and equipped with a stone balustrade embellished
with statuettes representing lions and the second floor, also famous for
having been the historic headquarters of the French Consulate, still
with evidence of the presence of the red line.
The attic, with
small square openings arranged symmetrically, is crossed at the top by
an indented cornice.
On the back, where two wings extend, which
give the palace a U-shaped plan, there is a small garden enclosed by
walls, open onto the water from an arch and facing the Rio di
Ognissanti.