Casino of Venice, Renaissance palace on Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
The Casino of Venice stands as a three-story Renaissance palace along the Grand Canal, where its marble facade carries classical columns and decorated arches. Inside, the rooms stretch across several levels with coffered ceilings, while large windows on the water side let in light from across the canal.
Construction began in 1481 under the direction of Mauro Codussi and continued until 1509, when the Loredan family commissioned the project. Later the palace hosted Richard Wagner in his final months before he died here in 1883, and from 1959 the building opened as a gaming house.
Today the building combines gaming rooms with residential quarters that still show the old Venetian layout when you walk through the upper floors. The name Calergi recalls one of the last families to live here before the building took on its new role as a public venue.
Visitors need a valid identity document for entry, and an admission card that includes services is available at the entrance. The rooms spread across several floors, so comfortable shoes help when walking through the different areas of the building.
A small museum on the upper floor preserves personal belongings of Richard Wagner, including furniture from the rooms where he spent his final days. The collection also shows manuscripts and letters that the composer left behind in this building.
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