Palazzetto Zane: Façade

The palazetto was designed by Antonio Gaspari and was erected at the far end of the garden of the palace of the Zane family. It was never designed as a place in which to live, but merely as a place in which to enjoy oneself. It had one fa�ade overlooking the San Giacomo dell’Orio canal and two independent entrances, in order to create a private, quiet place, physically and figuratively separate from the formal rooms of the palace. Four stone heads were commissioned from the German sculptor Enrico Merengo, to be placed on the keystone of the arch over the entrance accessed from the water and above the overhanging tripartite window on the piano nobile.

The main room (the portego) is decorated with frescoes by Sebastiano Ricci and stuccoes by Abbondio Stazio (the two were also responsible for the decoration of the grand staircase). The double-height space is entirely surrounded by a balcony, originally meant to accommodate two orchestras, rimmed with a richly carved wooden balustrade.

The main room is still the venue for concerts.