Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia — Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of the 18th Century Venice ENG The Palace Among precious historical furnishings, it houses important works of the 18th century Venice, including masterpieces by Tiepolo, Rosalba Carriera, Pietro Longhi, Canaletto e Guardi.... History The palace which houses the century the palace changed owners Museum of 18th-century Venice was several times and was gradually built at the behest of the Bon family, stripped of all its furnishings. one of the old noble families of the Later tenants included the poet town. Halfway through the 17th Robert Browning – who spent the century Filippo Bon commissioned summers of 1887 and 1888 in the the building from the most famous palace, and died here in 1889 – and architect of his time, Baldassare the composer and songwriter Cole Longhena, who also built Ca’ Porter, who rented the premises Pesaro and the basilica of La Salute. from 1926 to 1927. It had been The monumental project proved reduced to a mere empty receptacle however to be too ambitious for the when it was purchased by the city Baldassarre Longhena, Bon finances. The palace had not of Venice in 1935 to house the 18th- Ca’Rezzonico, Facade yet in fact been completed when century art collections. In just a the architect died in 1682 and soon short time, furnishings were added afterwards, in view of the family’s to the paintings: everyday objects, inability to bear the considerable also stripped frescoes or ceiling expense of the project, the works canvases from other city palaces. were brought to a halt and the The result is an extraordinary building remained incomplete. environmental museum in whose In 1750 Giambattista Rezzonico, rooms we can see works of one whose family had recently received of the most fortunate periods of a noble title by paying a large sum European art, together with the of money, bought the building and lavishness and splendor of an commissioned Giorgio Massari, the 18th-century Venetian mansion. fashionable architect of the time, The main entrance to the building to complete the works. The palazzo was originally the one on the Grand took the name of the Rezzonico Canal, through the monumental family. The works were completed water entrance where all guests in just 6 years, in time to celebrate entered. The architect Baldassare the family’s lightning rise in society, Longhena radically revised the which peaked in 1758 when Carlo, usual concept of the façade of Giambattista’s son, was elected the Venetian palace; this was pope under the name of Clement traditionally divided into three XIII. Their success was however parts, with a row of windows in the fairly short-lived and had already central part and two wings at the come to an end with the next sides. Longhena instead chose to generation. Lacking male heirs, use a single architectural module the family died out in 1810 with the for the whole surface, in this case Ca’Rezzonico, Central hall death of Abbondio. During the 19th derived from the New Office of the > 1 Procurators in St. Mark’s Square This dilates the space and attracts (which he himself had completed) the viewer’s eye to the family and reinterpreted in a Baroque style. coat-of-arms, which is positioned The accentuated projection of the in full light above the fountain various elements created a striking at the end of this rhythmic interplay of light and shade. The chiaroscuro cadence. The effect ground plan of the building was also was accentuated by the fact that innovative. The continuous closed the coat-of-arms was originally the portico which traditionally crossed only coloured element within the old Venetian palaces longitudinally, perspective telescope which was from the water entrance to the land created by the succession of closed entrance, was here broken up by and open spaces. The ground floor Ca’Rezzonico, Garden an inner courtyard. This was typical portico today houses a 19th century of the scheme for land palaces and gondola fitted with the traditional was not used in Venice. The solution “felze” a removable cabin shielding is simple but effective. Instead of passenger from onlookers and an extremely dark area which has guaranteeing their comfort and no architectural or scenographic privacy. impact, a succession of light and dark areas was created. > 2 Museums maps FLOOR 20. The “Ai Do San Marchi” Pharmacy 3 21. The Egidio Martini Picture Gallery 21 20 FLOOR 12. Picture - Gallery 16. Longhi Room Portego 16 17 18 19 17. Green Lacquer 13. Giandomenico Room 12 2 Tiepolo in Zianigo 13 18. Guardi Room 15 14 14. Harpsichord room 19. Alcove 15. Room of the Parlatory FLOOR 2. Ballroom 7. Tiepolo Room 6 5 4 3 3. Nuptial Allegory 8. Library Room 11 2 1 9. Lazzarini Room 4. Pastel Room 7 8 9 10 10. Brustolon Room 5. Tapestry Room 11. Portego 6. Throne Room 22. Ferruccio Mestrovich Collection FLOOR 22 On the Browning landing you can see the 0/1 Mestrovich Donation, which consists of thirty or so works from the 15th century to the 20th century. Mezzanino Browning FLOOR On the ground-floor are the various facilities for visitors: ticket-office, cloakroom, toilets, museum shop, 0 cafeteria, lift; the garden holds occasional theatrical performances. The tour starts from the ceremonial staircase, on the opposite side from the Grand Canal. RETE: GuestFMCV PASSWORD: visitmuve > 3 Layout and collections The visit to the museum collection begins at Giorgio Massari’s large ceremonial staircase on the side of the palace opposite to the Grand Canal. On the first floor, eleven rooms exhibit paintings, sculptures, frescoed ceilings, and collections of 18th century furnishings. The second floor opens with a long central hall typical of Venetian palaces in which there are two early works by Canaletto; the rooms dedicated to the work of Pietro Longhi and the Giandomenico Tieopolo frescoes originally on the walls of Villa Zianigo are not to be missed. The third floor contains not only the three rooms of the “Ai Do San Marchi” Pharmacy, but also the noteworthy collection of paintings bequeathed by Egidio Martini. The staircase alongside the café leads to the Browning Mezzanine, which houses the Mestrovich Collection, including works by artists such as Jacopo Tintoretto and Bonifacio de’ Pitati. > 4 FLOOR 6 5 4 3 1 11 2 2. Ballroom Canal Grande 3. Nuptial Allegory Room 7 8 9 10 4. Pastel Room 5. Tapestry Room 6. Throne Room 7. Tiepolo Room 8. Library 9. Lazzarini Room 10. Brustolon Room 11. Portego 2. Ballroom motifs were part of the original The grand ballroom of Palazzo furnishings of the palace. Along the Rezzonico is markedly original with walls there are some of the works respect to other Venetian buildings. that the sculptor Andrea Brustolon Massari created it by eliminating produced for the Venier family in the floor of the upper piano nobile the early years of the 18th century. and closing an order of windows, Among these works you find the thus doubling the height of the so-called Ethiopian Warriors, room; it gives the palace a truly imposing nudes armed with heavy “regal” effect, and expresses the clubs and shown with vividly spirit of the mid-18th century. The staring eyes in white glass paste; at room itself gives the illusion of the feet of each there is a horse’s being the centre of a much larger head. Perhaps the series – most space that can be glimpsed beyond of the statues are in the room 10, the trompe l’oeil architecture which is named after the sculptor painted on the walls. These – was inspired by the Egyptian illusionistic effects were created by statues in porphyry and basalt that Pietro Visconti, a Lombard artist Brustolon saw during his time in who specialized in such works Rome. and collaborated with the most — famous Venetian “figure” painters 3. Nuptial Allegory Room of the day; the ceiling fresco is In the winter of 1757, the wedding by Giovanni Battista Crosato and between Ludovico Rezzonico represents the chariot of Phoebus and Faustina Savorgnan took with Europe, Asia, America and place. For the occasion, the row Africa on the four sides. All of these of rooms along the san Barnaba decorations – fully restored in canal, intended as the spouses’ 2000-2001 – refer to allegorical reception apartment, was frescoed. and celebratory themes linked In this circumstance, Giambattista with Apollonian myths: a kind of Tiepolo was also present. Helped figurative poem in honour of the once more by Girolamo Mengozzi, Rezzonico family, whose coat-of- he painted the Nuptial allegory on arms appears in the gilded drapes the ceiling of this room in just 12 at the centre of the main wall. days. Pairs of satyrs painted by The two grandiose chandeliers in Tiepolo’s son Giandomenico are Ca’ Rezzonico, Ballroom gilded wood and metal with floral leaning against a fake ochre and > 5 green marble parapet, and beyond 4.Pastel Room this is an architectural structure, Besides Giambattista Tiepolo, ending a balustrade which opens other important Venetian onto the sky. The two spouses are fresco painters participated in presented to the viewer riding on the decoration of the wedding Apollo’s chariot; they are preceded apartment. This room was by the blindfolded Cupid, while decorated by Gaspare Diziani, one some allegorical figures surround of the most active mid-18th century the main group. Among these we artists in this field. can recognise: Fame, blowing her On the ceiling he painted a theme trumpet; the Graces sitting on which was particularly dear to a cloud just under the wedding Venetian nobility, the Triumph of chariot; Truth with the sun in her the Arts over Ignorance.