Palazzo Cappello Layard

Palazzo Cappello Layard is a palace in Venice, located in the sestiere (district) of San Polo, overlooking the Grand Canal between Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza and Palazzo Grimani Marcello.

SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO CAPPELLO LAYARD

The palace was built in the 16th century and renovated during the same century according to the styles of Renaissance architecture at the behest of its owner, Antonio Cappello, the procurator of San Marco.

At the end of the 19th century, the building became the residence of the English ambassador Austen Henry Layard.

Layard, a distinguished archaeologist who became famous for the discovery of the city of Nineveh, moved his vast collection of Italian Renaissance paintings into the palace.

Later, after his death, the art collection was donated by his wife to the National Gallery in London.

Lady Layard died in 1912, and the palace was bought by the Carnelutti family and became the residence of the jurist Francesco Carnelutti.

In 1967, Palazzo Cappello Layard passed to the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Currently, the palace houses the headquarters of the Department of Asia and Mediterranean Africa Studies of the university.

ARCHITECTURE OF PALAZZO CAPPELLO LAYARD

The palace has three facades. The facade overlooking the Grand Canal, poor and devoid of decorations, is distinguished by the presence of a large number of single lancet windows.

The first noble floor is enriched by a simple three-mullioned window, which opens onto a terrace leaning against Palazzo Grimani Marcello.

The facade on Rio di San Polo has two important three-mullioned windows with balconies and elaborate capitals flanked by two pairs of single-lancet windows. All the coats of arms on the facade are 19th-century imitations.

The facade on Rio delle Erbe has no architectural interest and appears very poor in decorations. A small courtyard develops in the center of the building.

HOW TO GET TO PALAZZO CAPPELLO LAYARD

Palazzo Cappello Layard is located about 1.1 kilometers from the Santa Lucia railway station. The closest vaporetto stop is San Toma, about 300 meters away, on the waterbus Lines 1 and 2.