RAVERTI, Matteo

Although it was to be more elaborately decorated than any of the earlier houses, the palace of Marin Contarini - which was to become known as the Ca’ d’Oro, the House of Gold - fulfilled precisely the same traditional functions as the dozens of older palace-warhouses. It has a spacious ground floor hall for the reception and storage of goods, flanked by smaller, secure store-rooms, and by Contarini’s own offices. Directly above, there are two very large apartments on the first and second floors, which are connected to the traditional Venetian internal courtyard by means of an equally traditional open staircase.

The fa�ade facing over the canal was created by Bartolomeo Bon and his workshop, with the traditionally Venetian-Byzantine use of five arches, while the upper floors have wide open galleries typical of the era and clearly inspired by the Palazzo Ducale, created by Matteo Raverti. Raverti was probably responsible for the open staircase, the courtyard arcade, the large window facing the court and the door giving on to the street.

The same craftsmen who worked on the fa�ade of the building were also responsible for its elegant courtyard. It has a portico on two sides, while at the far end there is a large Gothic window, carved by the Bon brothers, through which is visible the Grand Canal in front. The staircase that leads to the upper floors is by Matteo Raverti.

This relief with almost life-size figures is on the corner of the Palazzo Ducale toward the Ponte della Paglia.

This relief with almost life-size figures is on the corner of the Palazzo Ducale toward the Ponte della Paglia.

The picture shows a view of the ground level portico overlooking the Bacino, seen from the Ponte della Paglia. On the left, the relief depicting the Drunkenness of Noah is by Matteo Raverti.