Palazzo Dolfin Manin

Palazzo Dolfin Manin is a palace in Venice, located in the sestiere (district) of San Marco, overlooking the Grand Canal not far from the Rialto Bridge.

Today, the palace houses the Venice branch of Banca d’Italia.

SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO DOLFIN MANIN

The palace was built in 1536 by Jacopo Sansovino for the Dolfin family, by merging two pre-existing buildings dating back to the Middle Ages.

Later, the palace became the residence of the noble Manin family.

Ludovico Manin, the last Doge of Venice, commissioned the architect Giannantonio Selva to make important modifications to the palace.

The architect eliminated the inner courtyard and replaced the entry staircase with a more sumptuous one in Neoclassical style.

In 1797, Ludovico Manin accepted the surrender to the French army of Napoleon. After that moment, he lived for another five years segregated in the palace.

The palace remained the property of the Manin family until 1867, when it passed to Banca Nazionale del Regno.

Some restorations were carried out between 1968 and 1971, and a further restoration was completed in 2002.

the facade of Palazzo Dolfin Manin

ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF PALAZZO DOLFIN MANIN

The facade of the palace was built between 1538 and 1547 by the great architect Jacopo Tatti, known as Sansovino.

The facade is characterized by the whiteness of the Istrian stone and by large round openings.

The portico on the ground floor is formed by six arcades, delimited by seven supporting pillars.

The two upper floors have a pair of windows on each side, corresponding to an arch on the ground floor, and a four-light window in the center. At the top, the facade is closed by a large notched cornice.

The interior is of great artistic value, due to the paintings of Giambattista Tiepolo, who worked here in the first half of the 18th century, decorating the palace for the wedding of Ludovico Manin with Elisabetta Grimani.

The building has an internal courtyard, modified several times over the centuries, in which there is a staircase leading to the upper floors.

TIP: To admire every palace, church and bridge built on the Grand Canal, take the waterbus Line 1 from Piazzale Roma, and after a 45 minutes trip you will reach San Marco Vallaresso and the eastern end of the canal.

And if you need more time to admire the scenery, take an enchanting gondola ride along Canal Grande.

HOW TO GET TO PALAZZO DOLFIN MANIN

Palazzo Dolfin Manin is located about 1.7 kilometers away from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station.

The closest waterbus stop is Rialto, located near the palace, on the waterbus Lines 1 and 2. If you want to find the palace on foot, use the map below.