A particular
attraction of the house is that all main windows face south overwide
canals, avoiding the frequent sense of claustrophobia one has
in much Venetian accomodation.
It has recently
been fully restored by a pupil of the famous Venetian architect
Carlo Scarpa.
The first
documented evidence of the house is in the famous fifteenth century
plan of Venice by Jacobo da Barbari which hangs everywhere and
which shows the building exactly as we see it today.At that time
the area of S. Caterina was used for the chopping and storage
of timber. It was later, with the construction of the splendid
baroque Palazzo Zen next door, that it became residential.
The first
owner of Cannaregio 4935, was in fact a wood merchant . Rumour
has it that he was very jealous of the merchant who built the
Ca´ d´ Oro on the Grand Canal, and tried as far as
possible to imitate that palace when he built his own, considerably
more modest ,establishment. Indeed, the four arched Gothic windows
on our facade are a simpler version of those on the Ca´d´Oro,
and the dark gold colour of the house, imposed by the Historic
Houses Commission, is an imitation, albeit rather inferior , of
the magnificent gold leaf which once shone on the front of the
Ca´d´Oro.
We ourselves
frequently live in the house and it is furnished accordingly.
There are entirely three separate apartments which can be entirely
independent or used as a single entity for twelve persons. Each
obviously has its own bathrooms and kitchens, all have wide open
views and large, bright rooms. The area is very much the Venice
of the Venetians, tourists (and even the English watercolourists
,including Turner) tended to stay around St Marks. We are round
the corner from Tintoretto´s house near the boats which
leave for Murano to the North and the Ca ´ d´Oro on
the Grand Canal to the south .
The main
flat on the piano nobile has a long balcony, and a favorite occupational
therapy for children in season, is eating cherries and seeing
who can blow the stones furthest into the canal in front. Incidentally
we also provide buggies and cots.
The bedrooms
have all been recently redecorated, and equipped with with comfortable
hand made beds all with orthopaedic mattresses. Some have original
hangings of Fortuny material, or William Morris wallpapers.
Sitting rooms/areas
are furnished with antiques or modern designer pieces. Kitchens
are amply equipped for simple cooking
