Palazzo Zenobio is one of the most beautiful expressions of the seventeenth century Venice. Located in the heart of Venice, it is accessible through the waterway on the canal or after about a 10-minute walk from the Accademia or Ponte di Rialto. Palazzo Zenobio offers double and single rooms, with elegant and decorative elements, with private bathrooms and view of historical garden and family/groups rooms (without private bathroom) for 2-3-4 persons.Guided visits for our
Guests to the sumptuous hall enriched by frescos created by Dorigny, and Tiepolo
This palazzo was built by the family Zenobio, after they had acquired the gothic predecessor building of Morosini. In comparison with other palaces of the same time and especially the Palazzo Giustinian a Murano, which was also modified by Gaspari, the broad U-like plan is not
typical, but details of the austere main faēade show similarities with the Palazzo Barbaro. A large coat of arms, which was initially above the tympana of the central loggia, does not exist any more.
Two quadratic small courtyard are behind the first rooms at the left and right side of the
ballroom. The ballroom itself is behind the central balcony of the main faēade and extends over two
floors. A small stairway in the left wing (which gets light from the small
courtyard) gives access to the piano nobile.
Gaspari conserved half of the original portego of the Morosini building and added a serliana to distinguish it formally from the new
ballroom. Again, like already at Palazzo Barbaro-Curtis, the ballroom of Palazzo Zenobio has the height of two
floors. An orchestra gallery was added above the serliana. Louis (Lodovico)
Dorigny, a french painter, created a large trompe-l'oeil ceiling fresco.
But also the wall paintings by Luca Carlevariis and the ceiling frescoes by Lazzarini and in the vouted
'portego' and the lateral rooms are of high
quality. Alas, two ceiling paintings in the second piano nobile, attributed to Antonio Balestra, recently
"disappeared". Before the entrance to the Hall of Mirrors you find the Hall of the «Stucco». On the
walls, there are three precious paintings of Luca Carlevarijs, a predecessor of the Venetian 17s view
painters. The ceiling's frescos are some representation of Lazzarinis
allegories. All these frescos are framed by 17s fine «stucco», along with the marble made door
arches.
The main hall of the Zenobio Palace, is named Tiepolian after the frescos and the complex
decoration, to which collaborated the young G. B. Tiepolo.
A hall full of light, a subtle example of Venetian art and life in the 17
century: «Every element contributes to create this sumptuous style of the,
ambience, the stuccos and the frescos, along with the bronze decoration and the
mirrors».
Behind the palazzo, there is a large garden with the former library that still has baroque interior
decoration. In the 19th century, the palace became for a short period property of the
Albrizzi. While the represantative rooms towards the main faēade are very well
conserved, the rooms of the wing enfilades are quite austere. Today, the Palace belongs to the Armenian Mekhitarist Fathers of
Venice. In the facade's rather monotonous development, it actually conceals a complex plan, in the shape of an large "C" which opens in the rear toward a handsome Italian garden.
