The Palazzo Giustinian Businello is a Gothic-style palace located on the Grand Canal in the San Polo sestiere of Venice, Italy, adjacent to the Palazzo Papadopoli and near the Rio dei Meloni. Commissioned in the 13th century by the aristocratic Morosini family, it later passed to the Giustinian and Businello families, with notable 19th-century resident Marie Taglioni, a celebrated ballerina. The palace’s Venetian Gothic architecture, featuring a distinctive serliana portal and hexafora windows, reflects Venice’s medieval prosperity and Byzantine influences.
The Palazzo Giustinian Businello was constructed in the 13th century
by the Morosini family, one of Venice’s most prominent noble clans,
known for producing four doges, including Domenico Morosini (1148–1156).
The Morosini’s wealth, derived from maritime trade, enabled them to
commission a grand canal-front residence, reflecting their status in the
Venetian Republic. The palace’s early design likely served as a
casa-fondaco (house-warehouse), combining residential and commercial
functions, a common practice in medieval Venice.
By the 15th
century, ownership transferred to the Giustinian family, another
influential patrician family with extensive property holdings, including
Ca’ Giustinian (now the Venice Biennale headquarters) and Palazzo
Giustinian Pesaro. The Giustinian’s tenure saw renovations that enhanced
the palace’s Gothic features, aligning it with the Gotico Fiorito
(flowering Gothic) style. In the 18th century, the Businello family
acquired the palace, lending it their name. The Businello, less
documented but likely noble or wealthy merchants, maintained the
palace’s prestige.
In the 19th century, the palazzo housed Marie
Taglioni (1804–1884), a Swedish-Italian ballerina who revolutionized
Romantic ballet with her role in La Sylphide. Her residence adds a layer
of cultural significance, connecting the palace to Venice’s role as a
19th-century artistic hub. The building underwent several renovations,
particularly in the 15th and 17th centuries, with a new floor added in
the 17th century, reflecting Venice’s evolving architectural and
economic landscape.
The palazzo’s history mirrors San Polo’s
transformation from a mercantile center to a residential and cultural
district. Its survival through Venice’s post-Republican decline
(post-1797) and multiple renovations underscores its adaptability and
enduring value on the Grand Canal.
The Palazzo Giustinian Businello is a quintessential example of
Venetian Gothic architecture, characterized by its light, airy forms,
Byzantine and Islamic influences, and adaptation to Venice’s lagoon
environment. Its facade, renovated over centuries, retains 13th-century
Byzantine elements while incorporating 15th- and 17th-century Gothic and
Renaissance modifications. The palace’s design reflects the Gotico
Fiorito style, with intricate tracery and decorative motifs inspired by
the Doge’s Palace.
Facade
Ground Floor and Water Portal: The
canal-facing facade features a centered serliana entry portal, a
tripartite arched structure with a larger central arch flanked by two
smaller rectangular openings, a hallmark of Venetian Gothic
architecture. This portal, described in sources, is flanked by two false
portals (now walled up), which preserve the facade’s Byzantine origins
as a casa-fondaco with multiple access points for trade. Two single
windows on either side complete the ground floor, providing light to the
androne (entrance hall) used for receiving goods or visitors.
Piano
Nobile and Second Floor: The first and second noble floors each feature
a hexafora (six-light window) with balustrades, a signature Gothic
element that maximizes light and canal views. Each hexafora is flanked
by two single-light windows (monoforas), creating a balanced yet dynamic
composition. The hexafora’s arches, likely ogival or pointed, are
adorned with quatrefoil tracery, a decorative motif borrowed from the
Doge’s Palace, emphasizing the Gotico Fiorito style. The balustrades,
possibly added in the 15th century, enhance the facade’s elegance and
functionality.
Third Floor: The third floor, added in the 17th
century, is of a “more modern design” with smaller windows that follow
the lower floors’ pattern but on a reduced scale. This addition,
separated by a bas-relief border from the second floor, reflects
Renaissance or early Baroque influences, with simpler, rectangular
openings. The third floor’s integration maintains the facade’s harmony,
though its later construction slightly disrupts the Gothic purity.
Attic and Cupola: An attic cupola protrudes from the roof, a distinctive
feature noted in sources. This cupola, possibly added during
17th-century renovations, may serve as a decorative or functional
element, such as a belvedere or storage space. Its presence adds
verticality to the palace’s silhouette, visible from the canal.
Materials: The facade is primarily brick, typical of Venetian Gothic,
with Istrian stone accents framing the serliana, hexafora, and windows.
The stone’s pale, durable quality resists the canal’s humidity, while
brick provides structural stability on Venice’s alluvial mud, supported
by timber piles. Traces of Byzantine ornamentation, such as the
walled-up portals, suggest original decorative elements like patere
(roundels) or reliefs, now obscured by renovations.
Interior
Layout: The interior likely follows the standard Venetian palace plan,
with a central portego on the piano nobile, illuminated by the hexafora
and used for receptions or family gatherings. Smaller rooms, used as
apartments or offices, flank the portego, accessed via staircases from
the ground-floor androne. The second noble floor mirrors this layout,
while the third floor and attic contain smaller, less prestigious
spaces.
Decorative Elements: Specific interior details are
undocumented, but the palace’s noble ownership suggests Gothic or
Renaissance decorations, such as frescoes, stucco reliefs, or wooden
ceilings. The Morosini and Giustinian families’ wealth may have
supported initial Byzantine-inspired ornamentation, such as mosaics or
polychrome plaster, while the Businello’s 18th-century tenure could have
introduced Baroque elements like painted panels or chandeliers. Marie
Taglioni’s residence suggests elegant, if understated, 19th-century
furnishings suited to a cultural elite.
Renovations: The 15th- and
17th-century renovations likely altered the interior, with partitions
added for tenants or modern utilities installed. The 17th-century
addition of the third floor may have reconfigured upper spaces, possibly
reducing ceiling heights to accommodate the new level.
Urban
Context
The Palazzo Giustinian Businello’s location in San Polo, near
the Palazzo Papadopoli (a 16th-century Renaissance palace) and the Rio
dei Meloni, integrates it into a prestigious stretch of the Grand Canal.
Its proximity to the Rialto Bridge (10-minute walk) and Campo San Polo
(5-minute walk) places it in Venice’s economic and social heart. The
palace’s canal-front orientation, with its serliana portal, reflects
Venice’s aquatic urbanism, where palaces faced waterways for trade and
prestige. The adjacent Palazzo Lanfranchi and Palazzo Mocenigo complex
further enhance the area’s Gothic and Renaissance architectural
ensemble.
The Palazzo Giustinian Businello encapsulates key themes in Venetian
history and culture:
Noble Heritage: The Morosini, Giustinian,
and Businello families’ ownership reflects Venice’s patrician elite, who
shaped the Republic’s political and economic landscape. The Morosini’s
dogal legacy and the Giustinian’s extensive properties underscore the
palace’s role as a status symbol, while the Businello’s acquisition
highlights the fluidity of Venice’s property market.
Venetian Gothic
Architecture: The palace’s serliana, hexafora, and quatrefoil tracery
embody the Gotico Fiorito style, blending Byzantine, Islamic, and Gothic
influences. As John Ruskin noted, Venetian Gothic’s “lightness and
grace” (achieved through tracery supporting entire buildings)
distinguishes it from mainland Italian architecture, making the palace a
prime example of Venice’s unique aesthetic.
Cultural Hub: Marie
Taglioni’s 19th-century residence connects the palace to Venice’s role
as a haven for artists and intellectuals, alongside figures like Lord
Byron and Henry James. Her presence reflects San Polo’s cultural
vibrancy, complementing nearby landmarks like Ca’ Pesaro (International
Gallery of Modern Art).
Economic Evolution: The palace’s casa-fondaco
origins and later renovations illustrate Venice’s shift from a medieval
trade hub to a city adapting to post-Republican economic realities. The
17th-century addition of a third floor suggests a need for more
residential or rental space, mirroring the leasing practices of noble
families like the Donà or Soranzo.
San Polo’s Identity: The palace’s
location in San Polo, a sestiere blending mercantile and aristocratic
elements, roots it in Venice’s dynamic urban fabric. Its canal-front
prominence and proximity to cultural sites like the Basilica dei Frari
enhance its significance.
The palace’s endurance as a private
residence, rather than a museum or institutional space, underscores
Venice’s living history, where historic buildings remain functional. Its
Gothic elegance and cultural associations make it a hidden gem on the
Grand Canal.