The Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza is a Renaissance-style palace located in the San Polo sestiere of Venice, Italy, at San Polo 2765, 30125, overlooking the Grand Canal at its confluence with the Rio di San Polo. Built between 1566 and 1570 for the patrician Barbarigo family by architect Bernardino Contin, it is renowned for its expansive terrace, one of the largest in Venice, and its historical significance as the home of a once-celebrated art collection, including works by Titian, Giorgione, and Rubens. Today, it houses the Centro Tedesco di Studi Veneziani (German Center for Venetian Studies) on its first piano nobile and serves as a boutique hotel, Hotel Palazzo Barbarigo Sul Canal Grande, on the mezzanine floor, with the second piano nobile occupied by the Loredan family. The palace’s limited public access, stunning canal views, and literary connection to Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti novels make it a unique cultural and architectural landmark.
The Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza was commissioned by Daniele
Barbarigo and his wife Lucietta in 1566, constructed on the site of two
earlier Barbarigo-owned buildings, as depicted in Jacopo de’ Barbari’s
1500 map of Venice. Designed by Bernardino Contin, a Lugano-born
architect, the palace was completed by 1570, an unusually rapid timeline
for Venetian construction, reflecting the family’s wealth and urgency.
The Barbarigo family, part of the San Polo branch (ramo), was one of
Venice’s most illustrious noble lineages, producing two doges (Marco,
1485–1486, and Agostino, 1486–1501), the saintly Cardinal Gregorio
Barbarigo (1625–1697), and key figures like Agostino Barbarigo, a
capitano generale da mar who fought in the Battle of Lepanto (1571).
The palace’s most notable feature, its 14x24-meter terrace, was
likely added or expanded during later renovations, earning the name
“della Terrazza” by the 17th century, as noted by Carlo Ridolfi in 1627.
This terrace, originally a hanging garden until its abandonment in the
1969–1970 restoration, distinguished the palace among Venetian
residences. In 1739, the marriage of Filippo Barbarigo to Chiara Pisani
Moretta, heiress of the adjacent Palazzo Pisani Moretta, led to the
construction of passatici (aerial passageways) connecting the two
palaces over Calle Corner, a feature still visible but sealed today. In
1793, Gian Antonio Selva built an additional passageway and an erker
(bay window) for Chiara, linking the second piano nobile of both
palaces.
The palace housed a significant art collection, amassed
primarily by Cristoforo Barbarigo, Daniele’s son. By 1845, this
collection included 102 paintings, with 17 works by Titian, alongside
pieces by Giorgione, Giovanni Bellini, Palma il Vecchio, Rubens, and
Guido Reni. In 1850, Nicolò Giustinian Barbarigo sold the collection to
Tsar Nicholas I for 562,000 Austrian lire, and many works are now in the
Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The loss of this collection mirrors
the dispersal of artworks from Palazzo Gussoni and Palazzo Basadonna.
In the 19th century, the palace passed to a branch of the Giustinian
family, and by the 20th century, it was partially inhabited by the
Loredan family. Since 1971, the first piano nobile has housed the Centro
Tedesco di Studi Veneziani, a research institute focused on Venetian
history and culture. The mezzanine floor was converted into the Hotel
Palazzo Barbarigo Sul Canal Grande in the early 2000s, offering luxury
accommodations. The 1969–1970 restoration addressed acqua alta damage,
preserving the palace’s Renaissance decorations and adapting it for
modern use, under the oversight of the Soprintendenza per i Beni
Architettonici.
Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza is located in the San Polo sestiere,
Venice’s smallest and busiest district, at the strategic intersection of
the Grand Canal and Rio di San Polo, opposite Palazzo Cappello Layard
and adjacent to Palazzo Pisani Moretta. Its prime position in the Volta
de Canal (canal bend) offers panoramic views of the Grand Canal, from
the Rialto Bridge (550 meters northeast) to Ca’ Foscari. Nearby
landmarks include Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (300
meters), San Polo (200 meters), Teatro La Fenice (440 meters southeast),
and Palazzo Grassi (290 meters southwest). Its location is less central
than San Moisè or Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo in San Marco but aligns
with the canal-front prominence of Palazzo Balbi and Peggy Guggenheim
Collection in Dorsoduro.
The nearest vaporetto stops are San Tomà
(Lines 1 and 2, 200 meters) and San Silvestro (Line 1, 300 meters), with
Rialto Market (Lines 1 and 2, 500 meters) also accessible. The Santa
Lucia railway station is 1 km away, reachable by vaporetto or a
15-minute walk, and Piazza San Marco is 1.2 km away, a 20-minute walk
via the Rialto Bridge. The palace’s land access is via the narrow Calle
Corner, a dark, winding alley from Rio Terà dei Nomboli, which ends
before reaching the Grand Canal, contrasting with the open campos of San
Zulian or La Maddalena.
As a mixed-use building, public access is
limited. The Centro Tedesco di Studi Veneziani occasionally offers
guided tours of the first piano nobile, showcasing Renaissance
decorations, but these require advance booking (+39 041 520 6355 or
www.dszv.it). The Hotel Palazzo Barbarigo Sul Canal Grande, occupying
the mezzanine, provides 18 luxury rooms, bookable via
www.palazzobarbarigo.com, with rates starting at €200–€400 per night (as
of 2025, subject to change). The hotel’s water entrance, accessible by
water taxi (€120 from Venice Marco Polo Airport), enhances its appeal,
as noted in Tripadvisor reviews. The exterior, including the iconic
terrace, is best viewed from the Grand Canal via vaporetto (Lines 1 or
2) or gondola, a perspective shared with Palazzo Balbi and Palazzo
Gussoni.
Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza is a quintessential Renaissance
palace, designed by Bernardino Contin to balance classical symmetry with
Venetian practicality. Its unusual orientation, with the shorter
southeast façade on the Grand Canal and the main façade on the narrower
Rio di San Polo, reflects the constraints of its 1,100 m² trapezoidal
plot, a third of which is occupied by the terrace. The palace’s
architecture is noted for its innovative design and historical
significance, as documented in archival records cited by Juergen Schulz
(1968) and Wolfgang Wolters (2000).
Exterior
The Grand Canal
façade, though only two window axes wide (equivalent to one room), is a
compact Renaissance masterpiece in white Istrian stone. It features:
Ground Floor: A large water portal with a round arch, flanked by
smaller rectangular windows, designed for gondola access, similar to
Palazzo Basadonna’s fontego entrances.
First Piano Nobile: A trifora
(three-light window) with Corinthian columns and a balustrade, framed by
single-light windows, reflecting Renaissance clarity.
Second Piano
Nobile: A simpler trifora with Ionic columns, topped by a dentilled
cornice, aligning with the design of Palazzo Gussoni.
The Rio di San
Polo façade, the primary showpiece, is more expansive, featuring:
Central Water Portal: A grand arched entrance with decorative
moldings, flanked by two smaller lateral portals.
Two Piani Nobili:
Each with two quadrifore (four-light windows) with balustrades,
supported by Corinthian and Ionic columns, creating a rhythmic interplay
of arches and pilasters.
Terrace: The 14x24-meter terrace, accessible
from the first piano nobile, extends the palace to the Grand Canal,
offering panoramic views. Originally a hanging garden until 1969–1970,
it is now a bare platform, known as “Brunetti Commisario Dachterasse” in
Donna Leon’s novels.
The passatici (aerial passageways) to Palazzo
Pisani Moretta, built in 1793, are a unique feature, though sealed
today. The Calle Corner entrance, via a narrow alley, is modest, with a
small courtyard providing light, akin to the courtyard of Palazzo Molin
del Cuoridoro. The façade’s late Renaissance style contrasts with the
Gothic fiorito of Palazzo Molin, the Baroque of San Moisè, and the
neoclassical simplicity of La Maddalena.
Interior
The
interior, partially accessible through hotel rooms or Centro Tedesco
tours, retains Renaissance and Baroque decorations, adapted for modern
use:
First Piano Nobile: Houses the Centro Tedesco, with original
16th-century beam ceilings, frescoes above doorways, and a series of
doges’ portraits in wooden frames, reflecting the Barbarigo’s political
legacy. The terrace access from this floor is a highlight, though
restricted to private events.
Second Piano Nobile: Occupied by the
Loredan family, it features Jacopo Guarana frescoes (c. 1760–1770),
depicting mythological scenes, restored in the 20th century. These
frescoes, noted by Norbert Huse (1996), are comparable to those in San
Raffaele Arcangelo and Palazzo Balbi.
Mezzanine (Hotel): The 18 hotel
rooms, designed with 16th-century elements like exposed beams and modern
amenities (soundproof windows, flat-screen TVs, minibars), offer canal
views, especially from Room 10’s private balcony, as praised in
Tripadvisor reviews.
Chapel: A small domestic chapel retains
Renaissance friezes and doges’ portraits, a feature shared with Palazzo
Barbarigo Minotto’s chapel.
The interior’s blend of historical decor
and modern functionality mirrors Palazzo Basadonna’s restoration,
contrasting with the purely historical interiors of churches like San
Zulian or San Giuseppe di Castello.
Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza’s artistic significance lies in its
surviving decorations and its lost art collection:
Jacopo Guarana
Frescoes (c. 1760–1770): Located in the second piano nobile, these late
Baroque frescoes depict allegorical or mythological scenes, executed
with vibrant colors and dynamic compositions, akin to Guarana’s work in
San Raffaele Arcangelo and Palazzo Balbi.
Doges’ Portraits: A series
of paintings in the first piano nobile and chapel, framed in wooden
cornices, honor the Barbarigo doges (Marco and Agostino), reflecting
Venetian political pride, similar to the heraldic shields in Scuola
degli Albanesi.
Lost Art Collection: The 102-painting collection,
sold in 1850 to the Hermitage, included 17 works by Titian, alongside
Giorgione, Bellini, Rubens, and Guido Reni, making it one of Venice’s
most significant private galleries, comparable to the lost collections
of Palazzo Gussoni and Palazzo Basadonna.
The palace’s surviving
frescoes and portraits are modest compared to the masterpieces of San
Apostoli (Tiepolo’s Saint Lucy), San Giuseppe di Castello (Veronese’s
altarpiece), or Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Picasso and Pollock), but
their historical significance aligns with the decorative programs of San
Zulian and Sant’Antonin.
Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza embodies Venice’s Renaissance
grandeur and the Barbarigo family’s legacy as political, military, and
cultural leaders. The terrace, a rare feature in Venice, symbolizes the
family’s ambition to create a distinctive residence, akin to the iconic
staircase of Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo or the civic prominence of
Palazzo Balbi. The palace’s art collection, though dispersed,
underscores Venice’s role as a cultural hub, paralleling the artistic
patronage of San Moisè (Fini) and San Zulian (Zulian).
Its
literary connection to Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti novels, where
the terrace is featured as “Dachterasse,” adds modern cultural
relevance, similar to San Raffaele Arcangelo’s link to Miss Garnet’s
Angel. The Centro Tedesco di Studi Veneziani reinforces its scholarly
importance, akin to the intellectual legacy of Palazzo Gussoni’s
Accademia Delfica or Palazzo Basadonna’s educational role. The palace’s
current use as a boutique hotel aligns with the modern adaptation of
Palazzo Molin del Cuoridoro, contrasting with the religious functions of
San Biagio or La Maddalena.
Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza’s limited public access makes it a
niche destination, primarily experienced through its exterior or hotel
stays. The Grand Canal façade, though narrow, is a highlight for
vaporetto or gondola tours, praised in Tripadvisor reviews (4.5/5, #100
of 957 Venice attractions) for its “wonderful panorama” and “majestic
architecture.” The terrace, visible from the canal, is a focal point,
with reviewers noting its literary connection to Commissario Brunetti.
The Hotel Palazzo Barbarigo Sul Canal Grande, with 18 rooms, offers an
intimate experience, with Room 10’s private balcony earning high praise
for its canal views and breakfast service (fresh fruit, croissants,
eggs). Rates range from €200–€400, with water taxi access from the
airport (€120) recommended for a grand arrival.
Guided tours of
the first piano nobile, offered by the Centro Tedesco, are rare but
reveal Renaissance decorations and doges’ portraits, as noted in reviews
calling the experience “exclusive but hard to arrange.” Visitors should
contact the Centro in advance (+39 041 520 6355). The palace’s location
near San Polo’s markets and Basilica dei Frari enhances its appeal, with
nearby dining options like Osteria Fanal del Codega (180 meters) or
Bacarretto Bistrot (200 meters). For a family of four seeking affordable
three-star accommodation in San Polo, alternatives include Hotel Marconi
(500 meters) or Hotel Antico Doge (600 meters), bookable via Booking.com
or Tripadvisor.