Ca' d'Oro, Gothic palace in Cannaregio, Italy.
Ca' d'Oro is a Gothic palace on the Grand Canal in the Cannaregio district of Venice, Italy, now serving as a museum. The facade shows white marble with pointed arches, openwork balconies, and cloverleaf windows facing the water.
The Contarini family commissioned builders Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon in 1428 to construct the palace, which remained in family ownership for generations. Baron Giorgio Franchetti acquired the building in the early 20th century and donated it as a museum with his art collection to the Italian state in 1916.
The building once gleamed with gold and color, though today only the white stonework and openwork balconies show the early 15th-century Venetian craftsmanship. Inside, visitors find paintings and sculptures assembled by the last owner from his private collection.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday between 10 and 19, with tickets that also cover Palazzo Grimani. Visitors under 18 and over 65 enter free, and access to the building comes from either the canal or the narrow streets behind it.
The name comes from the gold leaf decorations that once covered the outer walls and gave the building a shimmering appearance from the canal. This gilding has long disappeared, but the name still recalls its earlier splendor.
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