Palazzo Franchetti

Makeover madness hasn’t diminished the essential charms of one of Venice’s most admired Grand Canal palaces. No fewer than three extended Venetian families originally lived under one Gothic roof at this 16th-century mansion, and apparently they didn’t always see eye to eye on decor. When archduke Frederick of Austria snapped up this Gothic palace in the 19th century, he attempted to unify competing styles with a spare, modern makeover. The Franchetti family lived here for decades after independence, and commissioned architect Camillo Boito to reinstall a retro-Gothic look, plus a formal garden and a grand art nouveau staircase. The palace was home to a private bank from 1922 until 1999, when the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti (Veneto Institute of the Sciences, Letters and Arts) moved in and brought the galleries up to date for expositions and conferences (see website for listings). The latest addition is the 2009 Palazzo Franchetti Caffè in the enclosed garden cloisters, with intricately patterned window screens that harmonise the palace’s Gothic, modern and art nouveau design schemes.