Ca’ d’Oro, also known as the Palazzo Santa Sofia, may be the best known example of residential Venetian gothic architecture in the city. (...)
Ca’ d’Oro, also known as the Palazzo Santa Sofia, may be the best known example of residential Venetian gothic architecture in the city. Built in 1420 by Giovanni Bon and Bartolomeo Bon (who would later design the Porta della Carta at the Doge’s Palace), the building features a ground-floor loggia and two stories of balconies, each divided by five columns and accented with distinct quatrefoil window designs. The palazzo’s name, House of Gold, is attributed to its ornate façade, though little of the building’s original external detailing survives. The structure was designed for the Contarini family and completed in 1430, but changed ownership following the Napoleonic occupation of Venice in 1797. It underwent a series of harmful renovations, including one 19th century project that removed a staircase and balconies surrounding the building’s interior courtyard. Eventually, Ca’ d’Oro came into the possession of Baron Giorgio Franchetti, who restored some of the original design before leaving the property to the state in 1922.
