Ancient Residence Of A Doge On Venice's Canals

An exclusive Late-Gothic palace, built at the end of the 1300s, is for sale in Venice's Cannaregio district, halfway between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, offering two water doors, a boat space, a panoramic roof terrace and an internal courtyard.

Overlooking two typical Venetian canals a few steps from Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel, this building was the residence of an important doge. Its origins before the 16th century are testified by a painting of Venice by Jacopo de 'Barbari, in which its facade is depicted in all its splendor. Only a few additions followed between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, including a second access to the water and new windows on the mezzanine floor, while inside the entrance hall was restored and a staircase was built, visible on the left side of the building.

Today divided into a prestigious location for art exhibitions during the Biennale and an accommodation facility for an important international clientele, this estate features authentic, special floors of the period. The floor in the library study is an original Venetian one without decorations on a cocciopesto background; a decorated Venetian one is in the bedroom, while the inlaid parquet floors feature a texture of oak strips and dark strips that frame square tiles.

On the ground floor, two water doors allow us to reach the estate by water from two canals, of which the largest with the possibility of parking a boat.

Through an elegant sottoportego, we reach a small street on the ground floor, which has access to a staircase that leads directly to the second noble floor. In the street, there is also a small shop, next to a second much larger shop, which is also on the ground floor.

To the left of the sottoportego there is a small internal courtyard with a Medieval well, as well as columns and three-mullioned windows from the Gothic period. Climbing an uncovered iron staircase, also in Gothic style, leads to the old gondolier's house. Also on the left, a staircase gives access to the first noble floor, which still features splendid stucco ceilings.

The two noble floors, first and second, have always been inhabited by the Pisani family, and they were intended for parties and bedrooms respectively. Both are of considerable size: 500 square meters each.

The apartment on the first noble floor consists of a large entrance hall, a spacious dining room, a bright living room with a balcony and a splendid view of the canal, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. There are then three double bedrooms, one of which with a private bathroom, and a sitting room with a pool table. The second noble floor, equally charming and equally arranged, boasts a beautiful roof terrace overlooking the canal and a total of three spacious bathrooms, one of which is for guests. For its charm, it has been chosen several times as a venue for Biennale exhibitions and film sets.

The attic, now to be restored, was once reserved for servants. The height of the ceilings and the beautiful windows of the medieval period guarantee excellent brightness.

The possibility of creating an internal lift and a second roof terrace with access from the dormer window of the attic has long been granted by the superintendency, making this enchanting estate a unique object in the whole Venetian scenario.