User:Tanya0115/Ca' d'Oro
Underlined = work added by us
Lead - additions by both of us
History - First paragraph additions and Architects section by Danielle, second paragraph additions by Shannen
Architecture - additions by Shannen
Restoration - section done by Danielle
Museum - organized by both of us
Lead
[edit]| Ca' d'Oro | |
|---|---|
 Ca' d'Oro façade overlooking the Grand Canal | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| General information | |
| Location | Venice, Veneto |
| Address | Cannaregio 3932 (Calle Ca 'd'Oro) |
| Country | Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°26′26″N 12°20′02″E / 45.44056°N 12.33389°E |
| Construction started | 1428 |
| Construction stopped | 1430 |
| Owner | Galleria Giorgio Franchetti |
The Ca' d'Oro, or Palazzo Santa Sofia, is a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, northern Italy. Ca' d'Oro translates to "House of Gold" in English.[1] In its earlier days, it was referred to as Cadoro which translates to "golden house" due to the gilt and polychrome external decorations that once adorned its walls.[2] It was designed by Marino Contarini and later restored by Baron Giorgio Franchetti.[2] Since 1927, it has been converted into a museum called Galleria Giorgio Franchetti.
It has long been regarded as the best-surviving palazzo in Venetian Gothic architecture, retaining all the most characteristic features, despite some losses. On the facade, the loggia-like window group of closely spaced small columns, with heavy tracery and quatrefoil openings above, use the formula from the Doge's Palace that had become iconic. There is also Byzantine-inspired decoration along the roofline and patterning in fancy colored stone to the flat wall surfaces. The smaller windows show a variety of forms with an ogee arch capped with a relief ornament, and the edges and zone boundaries are marked with rope-work reliefs.
History
[edit]Commission and Patron
[edit]The palace was built between 1428 and 1430 for the Contarini family, who provided Venice with eight Doges between 1043 and 1676. Marino Contarini came from this well-respected noble family, and used this building project as a way to assert his family's place in society and their wealth.[3] This message was also conveyed through it being built on the Grand Canal, which was a thoroughfare of importance in Venice.[3] Marino Contarini received this building through his marriage with Soradamore Zeno, which was part of an old palace belonging to the Zeno family.[2] Contarini was the commissioner and would also be considered the main designer, as he was the one who oversaw the entire project.[3] He also kept notes and accounts of the whole process, which have survived throughout the centuries.[1] The main sculptors that he contracted were Giovanni Bon, his son Bartolomeo Bon, and Matteo Raverti.[2] He had the building restored in Byzantine-style architecture, mixed with the popular Gothic style of this time as well as elements of Islamic design.[4] Gold was added to the building with Contarini's own gold by painter Zoane di Franza in 1431.[2] Over time, sun exposure dulled the marble and the gold decoration. By 1600, no more gold decoration remained on the exterior, but with the palace already well-known, it retained the title of Ca' d'Oro.[2]
Following the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, the palace changed ownership several times. In 1846, Alessandro Trubetzkoi purchased the palace, which was in a ruinous state. Trubetzkoi gifted the palace to ballet dancer Marie Taglioni, who sold notable architectural features from the building. These features would later be recovered by Baron Giorgio Franchetti, such as the red Verona marble wellhead by Buon.[1] He would also restore the palace after the reckless renovation of the architect, Trubetzkoi, which resulted in his imprisonment under charges of vandalism. In the end, many of the Gothic features, including the stairway of the inner courtyard and the balconies which overlooked the courtyard, were removed.
In 1894, the palace was acquired by its last owner, baron Giorgio Franchetti. Throughout his lifetime, he amassed an important art collection and personally oversaw its extensive restoration, including the reconstruction of the stairway and the Cosmatesque courtyard with ancient marble. In 1916, Franchetti bequeathed the Ca' d'Oro to the Italian State. It is now open to the public as a gallery: Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro.
Architects
[edit]The main architects, or more commonly known for being sculptors, known for the Ca' d'Oro are Giovanni Bon, his son Bartolomeo Bon, and Matteo Raverti.[3] Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon were Venetian, while Matteo Raverti came from Milan.[2] Matteo Raverti's notable contributions to the Ca' d'Oro would include the tracery of the main loggia and the ogee-arched typanum over the land entrance.[3] These sculptors also were known for the door for the Ducal Palace, which was called Porta Aurea because of how much gold they had added.[2] Matteo Raverti was also known for his work as a sculptor for Milan's Cathedral.[3]
Architecture
[edit]Main Façade
[edit]The principal façade of Ca' d'Oro, facing onto the Grand Canal, is built in the Bons' floral Venetian Gothic style alongside Byzantine and Islamic architectural features. As part of the eastern Roman Empire, Venice turned to its Byzantine history, which spanned from the classical period to the more recent medieval era, while Florence, Siena, and Milan recalled their Greco-Roman traditions. The facade is divided into three distinct stories: a lower loggia (covered corridor), a middle balcony, and an upper balcony.[4] Other nearby buildings in this style are Palazzo Barbaro and the Palazzo Giustinian. This linear style favored by the Venetian architects was not superseded by Venetian Renaissance architecture until the end of the 15th century, or later.
The arches, windows, and loggia of the palace provide a variety of decorations that make it the most striking palazzo in Venice. Vertical emphasis is created by each level of the facade becoming more ornate as it reaches the top while horizontal emphasis is created by the balustrades on the balconies and the large cornice at the roofline.[4][5]
Long rows of arches and windows face the canal which provides an abundance of natural lighting in the interior. The lower loggia contains a muti-arched entrance made up of pointed arches that opens up into the canal with a gondola landing. Lower loggia's muti-arched entrance is made up of a main wide arch in the center and a narrower arch at each side.[4][5] The landing leads into a courtyard with a wellhead, stairwell, and a small garden.[5] On the ground floor, a recessed colonnaded loggia gives access to the entrance hall (portego de mezo) directly from the canal. Above this colonnade is the enclosed balcony of the principal salon on the piano nobile, which is enclosed by a balustrade. The columns and arches of this balcony have capitals which in turn support a row of quatrefoil windows visible on the middle balcony; above this balcony is another enclosed balcony or loggia of a similar yet lighter design with fine stone openwork.[4]
The scalloped cusping of the pointed arches allows for a contrapuntal effect, while the window's tracery patterns on the right side of the palace provide Gothic motifs. The uppermost level contains a row of pinnacles, which are an extension of the quatrefoil patterns below. Made for purely an aesthetic purpose, the balls on each pinnacle were covered with golden leaves. Since Venice was protected by canals, Venetian palaces were not required to have fortress-like architectural aspects unlike other Italian cities[5] such as the pinnacles on the roof of the Ca' d'Oro.
The palazzo got its name from the facade's original use of white and pale red stone with golden gilded accents.[5] To enhance the aesthetic appeal, the facade was crafted with Istrian stone treated with white lead and oil to create a marble-like sheen, while red Verona marble details were oiled to bring out their rich tonalities. Architectural elements such as the parapet balls, window finials, capitals, and moldings were gilded, adding to the luxurious appearance. This combination of practical design and opulent decoration underscores the dual purpose of the Ca' d'Oro as both a functional space and a display of wealth and status. [3]Today, the white and pale red stone has worn away and the facade's golding elements are no longer evident.
Layout
[edit]One of the Ca' d'Oro's distinguishing features is its asymmetrical facade, designed to maximize light in rooms where side windows were impractical due to the proximity of neighboring buildings.
The building's androne—a large open hall at the waterfront—is accessed directly from the canal through the multi-arched loggia was historically used for receiving and exporting shipments, reflecting the common practice among noble Venetian families who derived wealth from trade.[3]
Above the androne, the gran salone or main reception hall occupies the piano nobile and is fronted by the most ornate of the three loggias, featuring intricate Gothic quatrefoil tracery attributed to Matteo Raverti.[3]
The upper stories house private living quarters for the family. The layout prioritizes privacy and hierarchy, with the family’s private spaces elevated above the more public reception and trading areas.[3]
The palace has (like other similar buildings in Venice) a small inner courtyard. The neighboring palace is the Palazzo Giustinian Pesaro. The central courtyard is accessible from the gondola landing and provides light and ventilation to the interior spaces. The courtyard contains a central wellhead. Additionally, a small garden area within the courtyard adds to the palace's aesthetic and functional appeal.[3]
Restoration
[edit]The restoration was led by Baron Giorgio Franchetti until his death on December 17, 1923.[2] Franchetti had great attention to detail and wanted to duplicate the technique of the previous accomplished architects.[2] This led him to entrust Ferdinando Forlati with assisting with this restoration, and Forlati was the one to assume leadership of the project after Franchetti's death.[2] Forlati's assistant, Antonio Nardo, was also entrusted with this task by Franchetti, who requested that Nardo be recognized with the title of Conservator of the Ca' d'Oro.[2]
During his time working on the restoration of the building, Giorgio Franchetti was able to restore parts removed under the ownership of Marie Taglioni.[1] These pieces notably included the red Verona marble well-head that was sculpted by Bartolomeo Bon.[1] Franchetti also took it upon himself to compose the mosaic pavement in the entrance hall that was made out of Grecian marble and red marble from Verona.[2] Along with these features, he also had the walls individually and uniquely carved.[2] Although the ground floor was originally used for utilitarian function, Franchetti had marble facing added that concealed this.[1] Along with his project of restorating of the Ca' d'Oro, Baron Giorgio Franchetti donated the building to the public in 1916 and it was converted into a museum.
Museum
[edit]The gallery houses the collection of works of art collected by Giorgio Franchetti in his life. Following the donation to the Italian State in 1916 and in preparation for the museum, the Franchetti collection was accompanied by some state collections from which most of the bronzes and sculptures on display come from, as well as numerous Venetian and Flemish paintings. Among the most valuable works are the San Sebastiano by Andrea Mantegna and the Portrait of Marcello Durazzo by Antoon van Dyck. In addition to the exhibition rooms, the museum houses various laboratories for the conservation and restoration of works of art.
The gallery houses the collection of works of art collected by Giorgio Franchetti in his life. Following the donation to the Italian State in 1916 and in preparation for the museum, the Franchetti collection was accompanied by some state collections from which most of the bronzes and sculptures on display come from, as well as numerous Venetian and Flemish paintings.
Among the most valuable works are the San Sebastiano by Andrea Mantegna and the Portrait of Marcello Durazzo by Antoon van Dyck.
In addition to the exhibition rooms, the museum houses various laboratories for the conservation and restoration of works of art.
References
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Ca' d'Oro", Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, 2003, doi:10.1093/oao/9781884446054.013.90000369996, ISBN 978-1-884446-05-4, retrieved 2024-10-03
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Fogolari, Gino (1927). The Ca' D'Oro. Review "le tre Venezie".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Paoletti, John T.; Radke, Gary M. (2001). Art in renaissance Italy (2nd ed ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 313, 315, 316. ISBN 978-0-13-091830-7.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help) - ^ a b c d e "Smarthistory – Ca' d'Oro". smarthistory.org. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
- ^ a b c d e Hartt, Frederick; Wilkins, David G. (2011). History of Italian Renaissance art: painting, sculpture, architecture (Seventh edition ed.). Upper Saddle River London Singapore Toronto Tokyo Sydney Hong Kong Mexico City: Prentice Hall. p. 393. ISBN 978-0-205-70581-8.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help)