Ca’Rezzonico

Fondamenta Rezzonico         Entrance land side

Via the Campo S. Barnaba we arrive at the Fondamenta Rezzonico. This is where we find the entrance to the land side of the Ca’Rezzonico. The main entrance at the Canal Grande can only be reached by boat but we are going to walk.

Follower of Canaletto ‘Ca’Rezzonico’ (detail)

This facade also has the traditional trichotomy, indicated quite subtly. It shows in places like at the piano nobile where the balconies continue in the middle as opposed to the side walls. For the facade, Longhena again fell back on the facade of the Ca’ Corner that Sansovino had built. The remarkable texture of the Ca’Pesaro barely had room for any additions. The Ca’Rezzonico opted for a much more calm surface. The palace owes its name to the Rezzonico family who purchased the palazzo in 1712. That’s when Masari completed the palazzo. It’s completion reached to the piano nobile and to the side of the Rio Barnaba. More about the history of the construction: See Wikipedia

Lucius Rossi ‘Masker Ball’             Stairs to the ballroom

The last palace designed by Baldassare Longhena was the Ca’Rezzonico. Masari added the last two floors and the ballroom. This is another androne (the deep and centrally-located floor above the Portega on the so-called piano nobile; see layout Ca’Rezzonico) but perpendicular to the first androne. At the top of this perpendicular androne, Massari constructed a ballroom and a large, impressive staircase. Large frescos were painted in this ballroom.

It is currently a museum (click here for their official website). What’s nice about this museum is that you get a good impression of how wealthy traders and nobility lived in the 17th century. The furnishings, furniture, paintings, gondola, precious upholstery and tapestries are genuine seventeenth/eighteenth century items. It also has a nice series of paintings by Tiepolo and Longhi.

Pietro Longhi ‘Clara, the rhinoceros’ 1751

Clara (1738-1758) captivated the Rococo era with her undeniable charm. Orphaned at a tender age, her parents’ alleged demise by Indian hunters led her to Europe, where she arrived in Rotterdam. From there, she embarked on a journey across the continent, spreading joy and enchantment wherever she ventured. Two centuries ahead of the rock star phenomenon, she lived a life akin to that of a revered icon. The common folk held her in high esteem, endlessly discussing her, while authors meticulously documented her in encyclopedias, and painters immortalized her through their art. In January 1751, she arrived in Venice during the vibrant carnival season, sparking a sensation within the endlessly curious Venetian society. Longhi painted her during this period, capturing a small gathering of eight figures in his artwork, all eager to catch a glimpse of Clara. One of the spectators in Longhi’s painting holds Clara’s horn triumphantly.