Ca' Vendramin Calergi (also known as Ca' Loredan Vendramin Calergi or Palazzo Vendramin Calergi) is a 15th-century Renaissance palace on the Grand Canal in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venice, Italy. It is widely recognized as one of the earliest and most accomplished examples of Venetian Renaissance architecture.
History and Construction
The palace was commissioned by the patrician Loredan family, namely Andrea Loredan, and paid for by Doge Leonardo Loredan. Construction began in 1481 and was completed in 1509. The building was designed by architect Mauro Codussi, who died before its completion; the work was finished by the Lombardo family of architects. The Loredan family reportedly spent more than 200,000 ducats on its construction.
In 1581, the Loredan heirs sold the palace to Eric II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. It subsequently passed to Guglielmo I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and then in 1589 to Vettor Calergi, a Venetian noble from Crete. The Calergi family expanded the building in 1614 with a large addition designed by architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, known as the "White Wing." In 1739, the palace was inherited through marriage by the Vendramin family, a powerful patrician family of merchants and bankers, who owned it for more than a century.
In 1844, Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, Duchess of Berry, purchased the palace. Due to financial difficulties, it was later sold to her grandson, Henry (Enrico), Count de' Bardi. In 1937, it was sold to Giuseppe Volpi, Count of Misurata. The City Council of Venice purchased the palace in 1946.
Architecture
The palace stands three stories high with a façade facing the Grand Canal. Classically inspired columns divide each level, employing superimposed orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The façade features five wide arched windows (bifore) on each floor, with a central portal at ground level. The building is faced in Istrian stone. A Latin inscription on the façade reads "Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam" ("Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory"), considered the motto of the Loredan family.
Richard Wagner and the Wagner Museum
The composer Richard Wagner stayed in Venice six times between 1858 and his death. He rented the entire piano nobile of Ca' Vendramin Calergi from Count de' Bardi and arrived on 16 September 1882 with his wife Cosima Liszt and children. Wagner died of a heart attack in the palace on 13 February 1883 at age 69. A memorial plaque on the building bears a tribute by poet Gabriele D'Annunzio.
The Wagner Museum (Museo Wagner) opened at the palace in February 1995. It holds the Josef Lienhart Collection of rare documents, musical scores, signed letters, paintings, and other heirlooms, constituting the largest private collection dedicated to Wagner outside of Bayreuth, Germany.
Current Use
Since 1959, the palace has housed the winter venue of the Venice Casino (Casinò di Venezia), which traces its origins to 1638 and is considered the oldest casino in the world. The palace also hosts cultural events, concerts, and the Wagner Days symposium.
