Casa Antonio Pigafetta, Gothic palace in Vicenza, Italy

Casa Antonio Pigafetta is a palace in Vicenza featuring International Gothic architecture that extends across three stories. The facade displays trilobate windows, Renaissance motifs, and numerous decorative elements including winged griffins, eagles, and cornucopias positioned between the upper windows.

The Pigafetta, exiled Guelph Florentines, lived in this area in the 14th century. Matteo Pigafetta reworked the palace in 1481, as the inscription MCCCCLXXXI / KL AUGUST above the ground-floor window on the right records. The building is often wrongly given as the birthplace of the navigator Antonio Pigafetta; Franco Barbieri and Renato Cevese refuted that attribution. A troubled restoration followed in 1990.

The building features French inscriptions, including 'Il n'est roses sans espine' above the entrance, reflecting the refined medieval cultural influences of the period. These texts and the richly decorated details show how the family demonstrated their connection to European courts and intellectual circles.

Casa Pigafetta stands on Via Pigafetta in central Vicenza and is a private, inhabited residence, so it can only be viewed from the street. Look for the date inscription MCCCCLXXXI / KL AUGUST above the ground-floor window to the right of the portal. The 1990 restoration was troubled, and the interior is not open to visitors.

The building is often wrongly attributed to the navigator Antonio Pigafetta; Franco Barbieri and Renato Cevese showed it belonged to the Pigafetta family of Florentine Guelph exiles. The Old French motto "Il n'est rose sans espine" beside the portal plays on their Florentine surname, Della Rosa.