Bust of Gerolamo Grimani

The Grimani were an Italian family of statesmen, ecclesiastics, collectors, and patrons. They had settled in Venice by the 10th century, and their wealth was derived from trade with the eastern Mediterranean; one branch of the family settled on Crete in the early 13th century. The Venetian Grimani emerged as prominent members of the hereditary nobility in the 13th and 14th centuries and advanced their influence through holding offices in the Republic and later in the Church.

Gerolamo Grimani (c. 1500-1570) was a statesman and patron, from the San Luca branch of the family. He had a prominent political career, becoming Procurator of San Marco in 1560. He devoted considerable attention and money to the building of an imposing palazzo on the Grand Canal, on a site he acquired from the Contarini in 1556. The palazzo was designed by Michele Sanmicheli.