Fondaco dei Turchi, Natural History Museum on Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Fondaco dei Turchi is a large palazzo with a white marble facade and double loggias facing Venice's Grand Canal. The building now houses the Natural History Museum, displaying zoological collections, botanical specimens, and fossils throughout its spacious rooms.
The building was constructed in the 13th century for the Pesaro family and later became the center of Ottoman merchant activity in Venice. From 1621 to 1838, it served as a crucial hub for trade relations between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire.
The palace served as a place where Venetian merchants and later Ottoman traders conducted daily business and stored goods. This mercantile use shaped the building's character, with its spacious rooms reflecting how commercial life and cross-cultural exchange once unfolded within these walls.
The museum is easily accessible by water bus lines 1 or 5.2, which stop at Riva de Biasio. Checking opening hours in advance and arriving early helps visitors explore the collections at a comfortable pace.
The museum preserves two mummified basilisks, legendary creatures kept for scientific and historical reasons within the collection. A dedicated aquarium showcases marine life specific to the northern Adriatic Sea and its biodiversity.
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