Palazzi Barbaro
Encyclopedia
The Palazzi Barbaro — also known as Palazzo Barbaro, Ca' Barbaro, and Palazzo Barbaro-Curtis — are a pair of adjoining palace
s, in the San Marco
district of Venice
, northern Italy. They were formerly one of the homes of the patrician Barbaro family. The Palazzi are located on the Grand Canal of Venice
, next to the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
and not far from the Ponte dell'Accademia
. The buildings are also known as the Palazzo Barbaro-Curtis. It is one of the least altered of the Gothic palaces of Venice.
style and was built in 1425 by Giovanni Bon, one of Venice's master stonemasons. It belonged to Piero Spiera in the early 15th century, passing though several hands before being acquired by Zaccaria Barbaro, Procurator of San Marco
. in 1465
The second structure was executed in the Baroque
style and was designed in 1694 by Antonio Gaspari, one of the finest architects of the 17th century This building was originally two stories and belonged to the Tagliapietra family. In the 16th century, they gave the Barbaro family permission to build on top.
Antonio Gaspari made enlargements to the building from 1694 to 1698. Gaspari's building housed the Barbaro family's ballroom
which included a magnificent interior of Baroque stucco
-work, paintings of ancient Roman subject matter, such as Sebastiano Ricci
's Rape of the Sabine Women and works by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
.
In the 18th century an elegant library was created on the 3rd floor of the palace with a ceiling that incorporated a rich stucco design. In the center of the library's ceiling was placed one of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's masterpieces The Glorification of the Barbaro Family, a painting that now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York. Teipolo’s frescoes have all been removed.
While the Palazzo remained the Barbaro family’s property, they did not always live there. In 1499 it served as the French Embassy to the Republic of Venice. In 1524, Isabella d’Este, widow of Francesco Gonzaga
and the sister of the Alfonso I d'Este was living at the Palazzi Barbaro.
In 1797 the Palazzi belonged to Senator Zuanne Barbaro. After the Barbaro family died out in the middle of the 19th century, the Palazzo was bought by a series of speculators who auctioned off furniture and paintings.
In 1881 the older palazzo was rented by a relative of the American painter John Singer Sargent
, Daniel Sargent Curtis, who purchased it in 1885. Daniel and Ariana Curtis repaired and restored the Barbaro and hosted many artists, musicians, and writers.
Palazzo Barbaro became the hub of American life in Venice with visits from Sargent, Henry James
, Whistler
, Robert Browning
and Claude Monet
. Other members of the “Barbaro Circle” included Bernard Berenson
, William Merritt Chase
, Isabella Stewart Gardner
, and Edith Wharton
. Another supporter of the “Barbaro Circle” was Charles Eliot Norton
.
James finished his Aspern Papers
in Palazzo Barbaro at a desk still housed in the palace today. James considered the Barbaro ballroom to be the finest example of a Venetian Baroque interior, and he included a description of the room in his novel The Wings of the Dove
. In 1898, John Singer Sargent painted An Interior in Venice a group portrait of the Curtis family in the salon. Isabella Stewart Gardner had her portrait painted at the Barbaro by Anders Zorn
in 1894.
Palazzo Barbaro was used as a location in the 1981 Brideshead Revisited
TV series adaptation from Granada Television
, as the home of Lord Marchmain (Laurence Olivier
) and his mistress, Cara (Stéphane Audran
), and also used as a location in the 1997 film adaptation of The Wings of the Dove.
The Palazzo has recently undergone a full aesthetic and structural exterior restoration. It is also discussed extensively in John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels
(2005).
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
s, in the San Marco
San Marco
San Marco is one of the six sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore...
district of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, northern Italy. They were formerly one of the homes of the patrician Barbaro family. The Palazzi are located on the Grand Canal of Venice
Grand Canal of Venice
The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city...
, next to the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti is a palace in Venice, Italy, not far from the Ponte dell'Accademia and next to the Palazzo Barbaro on the Grand Canal of Venice. Since 1999 it has been the seat of the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere e Arti and frequently houses cultural events.The palace was...
and not far from the Ponte dell'Accademia
Ponte dell'Accademia
The Ponte dell'Accademia is one of only four bridges in Venice, Italy, to span the Grand Canal. It crosses near the southern end of the canal, and is named for the Accademia galleries. The bridge links the sestiere of Dorsoduro and San Marco....
. The buildings are also known as the Palazzo Barbaro-Curtis. It is one of the least altered of the Gothic palaces of Venice.
History
The first of the two palaces is in the Venetian GothicVenetian Gothic architecture
Venetian Gothic is a term given to an architectural style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Moorish architecture influences. The style originated in 14th century Venice with the confluence of Byzantine styles from Constantinople, Arab influences from Moorish Spain and early...
style and was built in 1425 by Giovanni Bon, one of Venice's master stonemasons. It belonged to Piero Spiera in the early 15th century, passing though several hands before being acquired by Zaccaria Barbaro, Procurator of San Marco
Procurator of San Marco
The office of Procurator of San Marco was the second most prestigious life appointment in the Republic of Venice .-History:...
. in 1465
The second structure was executed in the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style and was designed in 1694 by Antonio Gaspari, one of the finest architects of the 17th century This building was originally two stories and belonged to the Tagliapietra family. In the 16th century, they gave the Barbaro family permission to build on top.
Antonio Gaspari made enlargements to the building from 1694 to 1698. Gaspari's building housed the Barbaro family's ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
which included a magnificent interior of Baroque stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
-work, paintings of ancient Roman subject matter, such as Sebastiano Ricci
Sebastiano Ricci
Sebastiano Ricci was an Italian painter of the late Baroque school of Venice. About the same age as Piazzetta, and an elder contemporary of Tiepolo, he represents a late version of the vigorous and luminous Cortonesque style of grand manner fresco painting.-Early years:He was born in Belluno, son...
's Rape of the Sabine Women and works by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was an Italian rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.-Biography:...
.
In the 18th century an elegant library was created on the 3rd floor of the palace with a ceiling that incorporated a rich stucco design. In the center of the library's ceiling was placed one of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's masterpieces The Glorification of the Barbaro Family, a painting that now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York. Teipolo’s frescoes have all been removed.
While the Palazzo remained the Barbaro family’s property, they did not always live there. In 1499 it served as the French Embassy to the Republic of Venice. In 1524, Isabella d’Este, widow of Francesco Gonzaga
Francesco Gonzaga
Francesco Gonzaga was an Italian nobleman, who was Duke of Ariano.-Biography:He was brother of the Cardinal Gianvincenzo Gonzaga, nephew of Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga and of Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua....
and the sister of the Alfonso I d'Este was living at the Palazzi Barbaro.
In 1881 the older palazzo was rented by a relative of the American painter John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings...
, Daniel Sargent Curtis, who purchased it in 1885. Daniel and Ariana Curtis repaired and restored the Barbaro and hosted many artists, musicians, and writers.
Palazzo Barbaro became the hub of American life in Venice with visits from Sargent, Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
, Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
, Robert Browning
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
and Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
. Other members of the “Barbaro Circle” included Bernard Berenson
Bernard Berenson
Bernard Berenson was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. He was a major figure in pioneering art attribution and therefore establishing the market for paintings by the "Old Masters".-Personal life:...
, William Merritt Chase
William Merritt Chase
William Merritt Chase was an American painter known as an exponent of Impressionism and as a teacher. He is also responsible for establishing the Chase School, which later would become Parsons The New School for Design.- Early life and training :He was born in Williamsburg , Indiana, to the family...
, Isabella Stewart Gardner
Isabella Stewart Gardner
Isabella Stewart Gardner – founder of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston – was an American art collector, philanthropist, and one of the foremost female patrons of the arts....
, and Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
. Another supporter of the “Barbaro Circle” was Charles Eliot Norton
Charles Eliot Norton
Charles Eliot Norton, was a leading American author, social critic, and professor of art. He was a militant idealist, a progressive social reformer, and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries considered the most cultivated man in the United States.-Biography:Norton was born at...
.
James finished his Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers
The Aspern Papers is a novella written by Henry James, originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888, with its first book publication later in the same year. One of James' best-known and most acclaimed longer tales, The Aspern Papers is based on an anecdote that James heard about a Shelley...
in Palazzo Barbaro at a desk still housed in the palace today. James considered the Barbaro ballroom to be the finest example of a Venetian Baroque interior, and he included a description of the room in his novel The Wings of the Dove
The Wings of the Dove
The Wings of the Dove is a 1902 novel by Henry James. This novel tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her impact on the people around her...
. In 1898, John Singer Sargent painted An Interior in Venice a group portrait of the Curtis family in the salon. Isabella Stewart Gardner had her portrait painted at the Barbaro by Anders Zorn
Anders Zorn
Anders Leonard Zorn was one of Sweden’s foremost artists who obtained international success as a painter, sculptor and printmaker in etching.-Biography:...
in 1894.
Palazzo Barbaro was used as a location in the 1981 Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
TV series adaptation from Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, as the home of Lord Marchmain (Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
) and his mistress, Cara (Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
), and also used as a location in the 1997 film adaptation of The Wings of the Dove.
The Palazzo has recently undergone a full aesthetic and structural exterior restoration. It is also discussed extensively in John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels
The City of Falling Angels
The City of Falling Angels is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. The book tells the story of some interesting inhabitants of Venice, Italy, whom the author met while living there in the months following a fire which destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house in 1996.The book explores local...
(2005).
See also
- Barbaro family
- Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
, Boston, inspired by the Palazzo Barbaro