The Grimani family built their Renaissance palazzo (mansion) in 1568 to showcase the extraordinary Graeco-Roman sculpture collection of Cardinal Giovanni Grimani. The palace has some incredible ceilings, including Roman-inspired stucco and the remarkable foliage room. Most spectacular of all is the Tribuna, whose inlay and Pantheon-style oculus make an incredible setting for their original antiquities, returned from Museo Correr in 2019 – after a 430-year absence. It's hoped that this will remain their home.
Unusually for Venice, the palace has a Roman-style courtyard, which sheds a flattering light on the interiors and objects displayed within. There is debate about who designed the building. However, it's certain that Giovanni Grimani (1501–93) himself played a large role in the project, which consciously recalls the glories of ancient Rome. Grimani also hired a dream team of fresco painters specialising in grotesques and Pompeii-style mythological scenes. Francesco Salviati applied the glowing Raphael-style colors he'd used in Rome's Palazzo Farnese, while Roman painter Giovanni da Udine, considered among the brightest pupils of Raphael and Giorgione, devoted three rooms to the stories of Ovid.
