Description of the attraction
Palazzo Ca 'Foscari is a Gothic palace on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice in the Dorsoduro area and once owned by the Doge Francesco Foscari. It was built in 1452 by the architect Bartolomeo Bona on the site of an old building that bore the romantic name "The House with Two Towers". This house, which had, as the name suggests, two towers, in 1429 the Venetian Republic bought from Bernardo Giustiniani and made the residence of its vice-captain Gianfrancesco Gonzaga. True, the captain did not practically appear at the donated residence, and the house was used to receive distinguished guests of the Republic. The house was later bought by the Doge Francesco Foscari, who completely destroyed it and rebuilt it in the Gothic style. The construction of Ca 'Foscari was completed in 1457, and just seven days after the doge entered the new residence, he lost his throne.
Ca 'Foscari is a typical example of a residential building of the Venetian nobility. The basement of the building was used as a warehouse, the first and second floors were occupied by living quarters, which were collectively called "drunken nobile". The central arcade on the second floor is modeled on the facade of the Palazzo Ducale loggia, and its huge windows illuminate the Great Hall. All in all, Ca 'Foscari is one of the most impressive buildings in Venice with the largest private courtyard. Its facade is decorated with arches, columns and windows, which in turn are decorated with images of a quatrefoil and a lion. In 2008, the main portal of the palace, made of white Istrian marble, was restored by students of the Ca 'Foscari University. Some of the interior rooms of the palace, including its large halls, have undergone restoration.
