Description of the attraction
Ka 'Vendramin Kalergi is a palace in Venice, standing on the banks of the Grand Canal in the Cannaregio quarter. It is also known as Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, Palazzo Loredan Vendramin Calergi and Palazzo Loredan Griman Calergi Vendramin. Many prominent people have stayed in this architecturally remarkable building, and it was here that the great composer Richard Wagner died. Today the Palazzo houses the Casino di Venezia and the Wagner Museum.
Ka 'Vendramin Kalergi was designed in the late 15th century by the architect Mauro Codussi, the author of the Church of San Zaccaria and other religious buildings and private residences in Venice. The construction of the palace began in 1481 and was completed after the death of Codoussi in 1509. The spacious three-story Palazzo stands on the very bank of the Grand Canal - you can get into it directly from the gondola. The beauty and elegance of the façade with its classic columns set the building apart from other structures. Two pairs of tall French doors are separated by an arched column and a trefoil window. Luxurious paintings, sculptures and architectural details adorn the interior of the Palazzo. The vaults of many rooms were decorated by the Baroque artist Mattia Bortoloni.
The first owner of Ka 'Vendramin Kalergi was Andrea Loredan, a connoisseur of fine arts, although the palace was originally built for the Doge Leonardo Loredan. In 1581, the Loredan family, experiencing financial difficulties, sold the Palazzo for 50 thousand ducats to Duke Julius of Braunschwijk-Wolfenbüttel, who was passionately in love with Venice. However, the duke owned the palace for only two years, and then sold it to the Marquis of Mantua, Guglielmo I Gonzaga, who in turn gave the Palazzo Vittore Kalergi, a Venetian aristocrat descended from Cretan Heraklion. In 1614, Kalergi commissioned the architect Vicenzo Scamozzi to expand the palace - this is how the so-called "White Wing" was built, with windows overlooking the garden in the backyard. In 1739, the Palazzo became the property of the Vendramin family, who had owned it for over a hundred years. Then the building passed from hand to hand several more times, until in 1946 it was bought by the City Council of Venice. Since 1959, it houses the famous Casino di Venezia, and in 1995, the Wagner Museum was opened, dedicated to the memory of the composer who died here of a heart attack. The museum houses a collection of rare documents, letters written by Wagner, paintings, recordings and musical notes.
