Does the name Palazzo Contarini delle Figure spark curiosity? This Renaissance-style palace stands proudly between the Palazzo Mocenigo Ca’ Vecchia and Palazzo Erizzo Nani Mocenigo. It faces the Palazzo Civran Grimani across the Grand Canal. We are now in the San Marco district of Venice.
The Palazzo Contarini delle Figure has a unique facade. It is attributed to various architects. Names like Antonio Abbondi, Mauro Codussi, Antonio Lombardo, and Giorgio Spavento are mentioned. Each could have contributed to this masterpiece.
Jacopo Contarini commissioned this palace. He was a procurator of San Marco. The Palazzo replaced an older Gothic-style palace. Construction spanned from 1504 to 1546.
Legend says the name Contarini delle Figure comes from the caryatids. These are above the ground floor portals. They sit just below the main balcony of the Palazzo Contarini delle Figure.
In 1713, Bertucci Contarini made a significant donation. As the last male heir, he gave the palace’s art collection to the Ducal Palace. The Palazzo changed hands in the 19th century. Marchese Alessandro Guiccioli bought it. His wife Teresa is famous for her affair with Lord Byron. Today, the palace is divided into private apartments and is undergoing restoration.
The Palazzo Contarini delle Figure’s architecture is noteworthy. It references the works of Andrea Palladio. The facade is divided into nine parts. These sections have decorative details and colors.
The ground floor features a large water portal. It is flanked by eight single-light windows on two levels. The central part of the facade has a triangular pediment. Five fluted Corinthian columns support it. These columns frame four windows. It is unusual because porticos typically have an even number of columns. It is believed the capitals were once covered in gold. A quadrifora decorates the top level of the Palazzo Contarini delle Figure.
A recent restoration project aimed to restore the facade. The goal was to highlight its unique decorations. The facade is made entirely of stone, which is unique for early Renaissance Venetian architecture. It introduces an architectural style foreign to Venice.
The facade develops on three levels. It elaborates on the Vitruvian concept of overlapping architectural orders. The windows have an aedicule-like design. The central polyphora has free fluted columns of Carrara marble. These columns support a frontispiece of classical inspiration. This design was new to the Veneto region.
The restoration involved careful work. Qualified workers used modern techniques to consolidate and restore the stone elements. Special attention was given to the saccharoidal marble columns. The colored marbles were cleaned and consolidated. Brentonico’s marble was used in the triangular frontispiece. It was treated with an ancient dye to resemble porphyry.
John Ruskin noted the Casa Contarini delle Figure. He wrote about it in The Stones of Venice. He described a strange incident involving shields and torches. These were attached to trees with severed boughs. Ruskin saw this as an image of the expiring naturalism of the Gothic school.