Palazzo Barbarigo

Palazzo Barbarigo is a palace in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district (sestiere), between Palazzo Da Mula Morosini and Campo San Vio. The palace has one of the most characteristic facades overlooking the Grand Canal.

SHORT HISTORY

Palazzo Barbarigo was built in the 16th century, in the middle of the Renaissance.

Near the end of the 19th century, the palace became the headquarters of Compagnia Venezia Murano, producer of glass and mosaics.

The company renovated the building and had the facade covered with mosaics designed by the painter Giulio Carlini and applied in 1886 by Fratelli Testolini (Testolini Brothers), owners of the Fratelli Testolini company, specialized in the production of sculpted artistic furniture, glassware, mosaics, textiles and furnishing accessories.

ARCHITECTURE

Palazzo Barbarigo is a typical 16th-century building, of beautiful proportions, with simple arched windows, juxtaposed at the center of the upper floors and linked horizontally by marble bands.

The frieze between the upper floors shows thirty-five cherubs pursuing various arts, including painting, drawing, sculpture and architecture.

The two murals commemorate the 16th century royal visits in Venice of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, speaking to Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) on the scaffolding of St. Mark’s Basilica, and of the future French King Henry III in 1574 on the Doge’s barge, along with a team of glassmakers.

Portraits of the two most famous Venetian painters, Titian and Tintoretto, are located above each scene, while St. Mark’s lion, the symbol of Venice, crowns one of the portraits, and the rooster, the symbol of Murano, tops the other.

HOW TO GET THERE

If you would like to get near Palazzo Barbarigo, you could take the waterbus 1 or 2 to the Accademia station, and then you could walk for about 250 meters to Campo San Vio.

On the other hand, if you want to admire the palace in all its splendor, you must get to the other bank of Canal Grande, and walk along Calle Dose da Ponte, coming from Campo San Maurizio.