Ca' Foscari Palace, Venice, Italy

Ca' Foscari, the palace of the Foscari family, is a Gothic building on the waterfront of the Grand Canal in Venice. In 1453 the Republic of Venice regained possession of the older palace and sold it to the Doge of the time, Francesco Foscari; he had the palace demolished and rebuilt in late Venetian gothic style. The building was chosen by the doge for its position on the Grand Canal.

Foscari immediately set about rebuilding the palace in a manner befitting his status: he moved the site of the new palace forward on to the bank of the Grand Canal. Buying and rebuilding the palace for himself meant for the doge affirming his political and military role: he actually represented the continuity of the military successes of that period, lasted 30 years, and was the promoter of the Venetian expansion in the mainland (terraferma). The huge new palace could hardly have been finished when Foscari was disgraced in 1457 and retired to his new home until his death.

Presently the palace is the headquarters of the Ca' Foscari University, which has made accessible to the public some of the most beautiful halls, such as the 'Aula Baratto' and the 'Aula Berengo'.

Ca' Foscari is a typical example of the residence of the Venetian nobles and merchants. The structure is one of the most imposing buildings of the city and its external courtyard is the biggest courtyard of a private house after that of the Doge's Palace. In common with other palaces, Ca' Foscari's principal and most decorated facade and entrance faced the Grand Canal - the city's main thoroughfare. This façade is characterized by a rhythmic sequence of arches and windows; this style, known as Floral Gothic, is emulated throughout the city and can be identified through the use of pointed arches and carved window heads. At Ca' Foscari, the tops of each column are decorated with carved quatrefoil patterns; the Gothic capitals are adorned with foliage, animals and masks. Above the Gothic window is a marble frieze with a helmet surmounted with a lion couchant representing the role of the doge as the captain of the republic; at each side of the central helmet we can find two putti holding a shield symbolising the Foscari's coat of arms with the winged lion of Saint Mark, symbol of Venice.

References:

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User Reviews

youssef abady (4 months ago)
A fair budget hotel with the basics you might need but very old building which is convenient in Venice with lower than basic quality of facilities. The location is on the other side of the great bridge so prepare yourself for a long walk to get back The old man ( owner ) is little bit rough and not welcoming at all

Mohammed El jorti (6 months ago)
Good morning In honesty I did not like this hotel There is no treatment befitting a hotel without internet There is no refrigerator and the room and windows are dirty Honestly, I regret that I booked with you

AB. C. (10 months ago)
No okay hotel/room whatsoever could EVER excuse such bad behaviour from an older man (staff from reception) yelling at a full-paying guest just because of a conversational language misunderstanding. ABSOLUTE NO GO; SHAME ON YOU, mister! NO RECOMMODATION - NEVER EVER AGAIN ! Better look for another place when you want to enjoy a pleasant stay in beautiful Venice

Gisa Vie (12 months ago)
It's like staying in a traditional, old home in Venice! Far enough from the crowds. Clean. Fair price.

Wendy Faulkner (2 years ago)
Great budget hotel. I was looking for a basic hotel and found this one. I was not expecting a fancy hotel because the price was so much lower than a lot of hotels. So if you are looking for a fancy place look elsewhere. I was not looking for a place to eat or hang out - just a place to sleep. My room was clean. It was small - but this is Venice - most places are. There are a lot of stairs but there are non-stop stairs everywhere in Venice so not a huge deal for me because I just had a small carry on suitcase. The staff was friendly when I checked in. I had a little trouble finding it but I spent half my time in Venice lost - but that is the fun of Venice - you find great things when you get lost and just start wandering. So this place did well for what it is - a budget hotel. If you want elevators and a fancy hotel restaurant you can get it in Venice but you will pay a whole lot more. It was super convenient to lots of places to eat and drink and I’d happily stay here again.

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