Ca' d'Oro - 15th Century Venice's Golden House

The Golden House which is located in Venice is known for some of the most outstanding works of architecture in the area. The city is well renowned for this, and their claim to fame is truly deserved.

For centuries, Venice has been a main European trade center and has taken influences from places like the Middle East and others throughout the continent. This cosmopolitan city's architecture has been affected with a mixture of its influences.

Ca' d'Oro sits beside the Grand Canal which is known as the main waterway for the city. Constructed during the 15th century, the home was inhabited by the Contarini family after 1430 who were a quasi-noble and well known family. Between 1043 and 1676, the Contarini family gave eight of their own as doges to Venice.

Decorated in a pink and white facade along with remnants of past gold leafing (which gave the building its name), is a gothic style Venetian classic. With arches of the Byzantine style that are pointed, and carved posts that elaborately bear capitals, the building has only a small resemblance to the Greek. A popular architect of the time period named Giovanni Bon created the floral-like designs found throughout.

Located in the colonnaded loggia accessible on the canal level, is the entrance to the premises. An astounding balcony located above the entrance is just outside the upper floor art gallery. With the gorgeous view outside, many are awe stricken when they find the view inside is even more impressive.

A sense of peace can be found outside of the bustling city at the inner courtyard, as long as it's not at a time when many visitors are crowding the area. The Vera di pozzo, known also as the wellhead, is an interesting sight to enjoy when relaxing in the courtyard.

In one room, you can find Flemish tapestries from the 16th century. In another room close by, a collection of bronzes that stem from times between the 12th and 16th centuries can be explored. Throughout all the rooms, plenty of furniture from almost every time period can be enjoyed.

Paintings fabulous enough to compete with those found in the Gallerie dell' Accademia can be found here in the gallery. "San Sebastiano" and "Venus at the Mirror" by Titan are displayed, along with other paintings by well known artists such as Carpaccio and Tintoretto. The Dutch even landed in Venice, thanks to the works of Van Dyke and Jan Steen.

An inspiring view of the Grand Canal can be enjoyed on the upper floor balcony, and getting a close-up view of the quatrefoil intricately carved in the windows shouldn't be passed up. Another marvel when visiting the balcony are the polychrome marble incrustations to be found.

Easy access from this loggia to a small room grants sights of invaluable ceramics. These include kitchenware - cups and plates - all which would impress even the richest in Venice during the 15th century.

The Golden House is a treasure that holds a good reason to visit Ca' d'Oro, shorn of its gold exterior.

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