Ca' Pesaro

Lonely Planet review

Home to the Galleria d'Arte Moderna (Modern Art Gallery) since 1902, the mighty Ca' Pesaro was designed for one of Venice's senior families by Longhena, in a muted baroque style much influenced by the Renaissance ideas of Sansovino, and finished in 1710 by Antonio Gaspari, after Longhena's death. He died worrying about the mounting construction bills!

What you see here includes works purchased from the Biennale art festival, and an eclectic array of Italian and international modern art.

The androne (main ground-floor hall) is typical of the great patricians' mansions in Venice. You can look out over the Grand Canal from one side, while the inland end fronts onto a sunny courtyard dominated by a monumental fountain.

Up on the 1st floor is the central grand hall, or portego . Again facing the Grand Canal and the rear courtyard, it is the main artery off which branch other rooms.

Upstairs is the curious Museo d'Arte Orientale (Museum of Oriental Art), one of the most important collections in Europe of Edo-period art and objects from Japan.